The Cuban government admits its failures in the fight against crime

The Cuban government admitted that its “ruthlessly combating crime” policy was not producing results and that criminal activity was rampant in society. The authorities confirmed this during a meeting of the working group on preventing and combating crimes and illegal activities, held on Thursday at the headquarters of Palacio de la Revolución.

He presides Prime Minister Manuel Marrero CruzThe aim of the meeting was to analyze the results of the April “confrontation”. According to the website Conductivitythe head of government pointed out that “there is no progress in identifying and eliminating the causes and conditions favoring the spread of these phenomena.”

“There is no effective administrative confrontation in the factories and warehouses where most of these problems come from. Public dissatisfaction persists, indicating that our work is still insufficient. We must intensify our actions, especially preventive measures, stressed Marrero Cruz.

Basic issues of crime prevention policy

The official report highlighted the flawed strategy underlying the “confronting crime and illegality” policy promoted by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Miguel Díaz-Canel. “Yes, there have been confrontations,” Marrero Cruz noted, “but instead of decreasing, crimes and illegal activities continue to multiply.” According to the Prime Minister, this is because the government has failed to identify the “causes and conditions” that favor criminal behavior in the country.

Without understanding the root causes of crime and illegality, the Díaz-Canel administration is failing to take effective action to eradicate these behaviors, which persist despite state efforts to prosecute and punish them, sometimes even in “exemplary” ways.

The meeting also acknowledged that “avoidant behavior” persists in tax collection and needs to be identified and addressed. However, the boss National Office of Tax Administration (ONAT), Mary Blanca Ortega Barredoreported that as of April, revenue collection showed an increase compared to the same period last year.

In the first four months of 2024, ONAT inspectors conducted approximately 9,300 fiscal audit activities, which resulted in the detection of debts amounting to over 336 million pesos. To date, 194 reports of tax evasion have been filed throughout 2023. In several cases, penalties were imposed, such as withdrawal of business licenses and temporary or permanent closure of establishments (the official report did not specify the number of such sanctions imposed on evaders).

The impact of inflation on prices, widespread scarcity, the dollarization of the economy, the consolidation of the informal currency market, rising inequality, increased poverty, and a sense of abandonment and hopelessness among the population – all contribute to the creation of a “breeding ground” for criminal behavior among Cubans.

The “causes” are obvious: the political system of Cuba’s totalitarian regime hinders reforms and the possibility of much-needed change in a country that, deprived of true human rights and political and civil liberties, is witnessing the rise of a “Russian-style oligarchy” power system that appropriates national wealth and it excludes ever larger segments of society, leaving millions of Cubans on the margins, desperate and relying on their survival skills.