Police violence in Cuba: shocking aggression by officers towards an arrested individual

A new episode of abuse of power and police violence was experienced in the streets of Cuba when two agents of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) brutally assaulted an arrested man, instead of proceeding according to the established protocols for his processing for some alleged crime.

The video of this event is published on the Facebook page of the influencer Alexander Otaola. The post does not detail where the aggression occurred nor the name of the victim.

In the content, it is clearly appreciated how the PNR agents subdue the detainee with excessive force, punching and kicking him, ignoring any principle of respect for human rights.

This is not the first time that abuses of power and violence by the Cuban security forces are denounced. The aggression against this detainee adds to a series of incidents that have generated concern both inside and outside the Island.

The aggression generated dozens of comments on the police and repressive atmosphere experienced in Cuban territory, which is the main tool of the communist leadership to stay in power, despite terrible results in economic matters and a widespread violation of human rights.

“They are abusers, until when will that people suffer abuse, hunger, and misery. They do not stop to think that today it is that man, but tomorrow it could be the other way around, and it could happen to one of their own family members,” commented the user Giorvani Romero.

For her part, the user Lidia Sánchez commented: “That’s how they work, in hiding. They are the lowest that can exist. And then they go around criticizing the police of other countries.”

The internet user Juan Carlos Alfonso mentioned that most of the Cuban police officers come from towns where their families experience needs, hunger, and blackouts. “They live through all that, but when they put on the uniform, they become abusive and defend the government, all due to a lack of self-worth and the inner fear they have always had,” he added.

According to Cubalex, a nonprofit organization that defends the human rights of citizens in the Greater Antilles, its team detected some 307 repressive acts during the month of November, which added up to a total of 719 violatory incidents. These occurred in 51 municipalities of all the provinces of the country, including the Isle of Youth.