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About this report and its methodology

This report is based on a thorough monitoring system of complaints, notes and statements published in social networks and both state and independent media, with the aim of verifying and triangulating the information obtained.

OCAC’s publication of regular reports on Public Insecurity aims to fill the information gap generated by the usual opacity of the Cuban government and, especially, of the Ministry of the Interior. It also aims to unify, in a set of accessible and graphic materials, the scattered data on crime and delinquency reported by the authorities and state media, whether national or provincial. Likewise, from the interpretation of data, it identifies trends.

It can be stated without fear of doubt that the figures offered in this report are actually much higher: the numbers obtained by OCAC monitoring do not represent the crimes committed, but those reported, therefore, the data presented are only the tip of the iceberg of a much larger and disturbing situation. However, the intrinsic value of these reports is the comparative analysis of trends.

Trends in the Second Semester of 2024

The following trends and distinctive features stand out from the data presented:

  • First, the increase in crime compared to the same period of the previous year (second semester of 2023) is notable, as the number of crimes reported in the second half of 2024 (885) is more than double that of the same period of 2023 (359). This 146% increase reflects a significant deterioration in public safety conditions. Crime reached an average of almost 5 crimes per day (4.83), which highlights the increasing frequency of reported crimes and gives a glimpse of what could be the real magnitude of the phenomenon.
  • Another noteworthy trend is the peak in crime in December (230 crimes) and November (214), which could be correlated with seasonal factors, such as greater economic or social movement at the end of the year. In contrast, August (60 crimes) shows the lowest activity, coinciding with the summer vacation month.
  • Matanzas, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Havana stand out as the provinces with the most crimes in various categories, indicating the existence of geographic hotspots of insecurity.
  • Ninety-six percent of reported offenders (1046 out of 1093) are male. Females represent a marginal percentage (4%), consistent with general trends in violent crime. Similarly, 58% of the crimes (513 of 885) were committed by a single offender, suggesting a mix of individual and organized group acts (26% in groups).
  • Victims span a wide demographic range. Minors and the elderly, although representing a smaller percentage, are indicative of significant vulnerability. It is worth it to note that 183 private and 113 state-owned properties were reported affected, as it highlights the magnitude of the economic damage.

Public Insecurity: Total Balance Sheet of 2024

In 2024, 1,317 crimes were reported, more than three per day -3.6 per day exactly. exactly -3.6 per day-, which translates into an increase of 668 crimes compared to 2023, an increase of 50.72% in comparison to 2023. The months with the highest number of crimes were December (230), November (214), October (148) and July (134).

Of the 1,317, 167 were murders, 880 robberies, 93 assaults, 65 assaults and 112 classified as “Other”.

If we compare the above data with the numbers obtained during the monitoring of the year 2023, we can see the trend of the different types of crime: in 2024 there was an increase of 615 robberies, 32 assaults and 82 of the “Other” classification compared to the previous period, while there was a decrease in 30 murders and 31 assaults.

Sources of information and propaganda of the Cuban regime

The Cuban government does not publish comprehensive crime statistics. The policy of lack of transparency on crime in Cuba is due, in part, to the fear that the exposure of complete crime figures would further erode confidence in the government and generate greater social discontent besides affecting the number of tourists visiting the island.

To recover the lost trust, the government has created and strengthened a group of profiles on social networks that highlight the “good” work of the MININT in solving crimes. Although they prefer to keep the data secret, the pressure exerted by independent media and civil society organizations – such as the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing and the Gender Observatory Alas Tensas – have forced them to open this window that allows a glimpse of a distorted reality, as they only report crimes that were allegedly solved, but still makes it possible to assess the trends of the phenomenon as long as it is possible to verify from other sources that the criminal acts actually occurred and were somehow “solved“.

Conclusion

While the government tries to minimize the importance of the amount of crimes committed, the fact is that criminal acts continue to increase. So much so that some countries that send massive numbers of tourists to the island, such as Canada, have warned potential travelers of this previously almost non-existent danger.

Some typologies -such as the kidnapping of minors with the purpose of exerting financial extortion on parents who receive remittances or have businesses-, have made a surprising appearance in a society hitherto alien to those tragedies, as recently reported by the Observatory . Cuban of Conflicts . That institution has also reported that protests caused by the rise of public insecurity ranked fourth at the end of 2024, after those connected to political repression, lack of food and crisis of public services (electricity, health, transportation and others).

The data analyzed show an undeniable reality: crime in Cuba continues to rise, while the government’s response is based on opacity and manipulation of information. Far from addressing the structural causes that generate the increase in crime, the authorities have chosen to minimize the problem and project a false image of control that contrasts with the daily experience of citizens and foreign visitors.

Against this backdrop, the work of independent civil society think tanks and organizations is essential to document and make visible the public security crisis facing the country. Without reliable information and an honest recognition of the magnitude of the problem, any attempt at public policy in this area will be insufficient.

Citizen security claims to be a political priority that demands transparency, effective action and respect for the fundamental rights of the Cuban population. However, the solution to the problem lies in eliminating the root cause of the phenomenon: the structural violence generated by a totalitarian regime, hegemonized by GAESA’s oligarchs, that actually represents the top level of organized crime in the island. It is imperative to replace it with a system of democratic governance and the rule of law.