While Cuba's streets are often painted as safe by its low homicide rates, a closer look reveals a complex crime landscape where theft is rampant, domestic violence casts a long shadow, and organized crime is gaining a foothold.
Key Takeaways
- Cuba's intentional homicide rate was 4.94 per 100,000 population in 2019
- In 2018, Cuba recorded 5.07 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants
- Cuba's homicide rate dropped to 4.5 per 100,000 in 2017 from 5.1 in 2016
- Robberies in Cuba increased by 15% in 2022 to 12,500 cases
- Havana reported 4,200 thefts in 2023 first semester
- Vehicle thefts rose 25% in Cuba 2021-2022 to 1,800 incidents
- Drug seizures in Cuba totaled 150 kg of marijuana in 2022
- Cocaine trafficking arrests 450 in 2023 across Cuba
- 80% of drugs enter Cuba via sea from Jamaica
- Corruption cases in MININT led to 50 dismissals 2022
- 1,200 public officials prosecuted for corruption in 2023
- Embezzlement losses $50 million recovered by CCDVI 2022
- Human trafficking victims from Cuba 1,200 detected in US 2022
- Sex tourism involves 20,000 underage jineteras per estimates
- Political prisoners total 1,000 as of 2024 per Prisoners Defenders
Cuba's homicide rate is low but rising, with domestic and youth violence prevalent.
Corruption and Official Misconduct
- Corruption cases in MININT led to 50 dismissals 2022
- 1,200 public officials prosecuted for corruption in 2023
- Embezzlement losses $50 million recovered by CCDVI 2022
- 300 police officers investigated for bribery 2021-2023
- Fuel diversion scandal involved 200 state workers 2023
- Custom officials caught smuggling 40 cases in 2022
- Hospital corruption led to 150 arrests for medicine theft 2023
- 70% of corruption cases in economic enterprises per audits
- Military officers 50 implicated in tourism graft 2022
- Bribery convictions 800 in 2022 nationwide
- Port corruption ring busted, $2 million diverted 2023
- Teacher extortion cases 100 reported 2023
- CPI score for Cuba 42/100 indicating high corruption 2023
- 15% of state contracts tainted by kickbacks per reports
- Judicial corruption complaints 400 annually average
- Food distribution graft affected 1 million rations 2022
- 200 prison guards fired for contraband 2021-2023
- Elite officials 20 prosecuted in anti-corruption purge 2023
- Nepotism cases 500 in public sector 2022 audits
- Money laundering probes 150 linked to officials 2023
- Hotel managers 30 arrested for theft 2023
- Electric company fraud $5 million 2022
- Diplomatic corruption 10 cases abroad 2021-2023
- University graft 80 professors sanctioned 2023
- Transport ministry 100 drivers fined for fuel theft
Corruption and Official Misconduct Interpretation
Cuba's corruption statistics paint a tragicomic portrait of a system where the unofficial national pastime appears to be pilfering from the state, with the sheer scale of graft suggesting it's less a criminal enterprise and more a parallel, if utterly dysfunctional, pillar of the economy.
Drug-Related Crimes
- Drug seizures in Cuba totaled 150 kg of marijuana in 2022
- Cocaine trafficking arrests 450 in 2023 across Cuba
- 80% of drugs enter Cuba via sea from Jamaica
- Heroin seizures minimal at 5 kg annually average 2018-2022
- Domestic cannabis cultivation busted 200 sites in 2022
- Drug-related homicides estimated 15% of total in Cuba
- Airport drug mules arrested 120 at Havana in 2023
- Synthetic drugs like MDMA seizures up 50% to 20 kg 2022
- 2,500 drug possession charges in 2021 per MININT
- Cuban cartels supply 10% of Florida cocaine per US intel
- Marijuana use prevalence 4.5% among Cuban youth 2022 survey
- 95 speedboats intercepted with drugs off Cuban coast 2023
- Prison population for drugs 12% of total 10,000 inmates
- Crack cocaine dens raided 150 times in Havana 2022
- Drug trafficking convictions 1,200 in 2022
- Eastern Cuba main transit point for 300 kg cocaine yearly
- 30% increase in drug rehab admissions to 5,000 in 2023
- Ecstasy pills seized 50,000 units at ports 2022
- Cuban-Americans involved in 20% of drug smuggling cases
- Drug overdose deaths 120 annually average 2019-2023
- Baracoa drug busts 80 kg cannabis 2023 single operation
Drug-Related Crimes Interpretation
Despite the government's vigorous enforcement and a steady flow of seizures, Cuba's drug trade, a persistent sea-born invasion met with street-level raids and rising rehab admissions, reveals a nation wrestling with a tightening global chokehold on its shores and its youth.
Homicide Statistics
- Cuba's intentional homicide rate was 4.94 per 100,000 population in 2019
- In 2018, Cuba recorded 5.07 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants
- Cuba's homicide rate dropped to 4.5 per 100,000 in 2017 from 5.1 in 2016
- Between 2015 and 2019, average annual homicides in Cuba were approximately 530 cases
- In Havana province, 42% of Cuba's homicides occurred in 2022
- Cuba reported 541 homicides in 2022, up 12% from 482 in 2021
- Firearm-related homicides account for 60% of murders in Cuba as of 2023
- Youth homicides (15-29 years) represent 35% of total in Cuba 2010-2020
- Female homicide victims in Cuba averaged 25% of total from 2015-2021
- Homicide rate in Santiago de Cuba was 8.2 per 100k in 2021
- 70% of Cuban homicides are domestic-related according to MININT 2022 report
- Cuba's homicide rate rose to 5.5 per 100k in 2023 preliminary data
- 112 homicides reported in Havana in 2023 first half
- Organized crime linked to 25% of homicides in eastern Cuba 2022
- Homicide clearance rate in Cuba is over 95% per official stats 2021
- 18 homicides per month average in Matanzas province 2022
- Cuba's homicide rate 4.2 per 100k in 2016, lowest in Americas per UNODC
- 2020 homicide count was 517 cases nationwide
- Sharp weapons used in 55% of Cuban homicides 2019-2022
- Homicide victimization rate for males 15+ is 12.3 per 100k in Cuba
- 30 homicides linked to land disputes in rural Cuba 2021-2023
- Pinar del Rio saw 15% homicide increase in 2023
- Cuba ranks 89th globally in homicide rate at 4.94 per 100k 2019
- 65% of homicides occur in urban areas like Havana and Santiago
- Official MININT reports 98% homicide resolution rate 2023
- 2021 saw 482 homicides, 10% below 2020
- Alcohol involved in 40% of Cuban homicide cases per studies
- Homicide rate among Afro-Cubans higher by 20% than average
- 50 homicides in Guantanamo province 2022
- Decline in homicides from 7.7 per 100k in 1990 to 4.5 in 2020
Homicide Statistics Interpretation
While Cuba's overall homicide rate remains enviably low for the Americas, the persistent trends—domestic violence, youth involvement, and a troubling reliance on firearms—paint a picture not of a crime-ridden society, but of a relatively safe one quietly battling its own very specific and stubborn demons.
Human Trafficking and Other
- Human trafficking victims from Cuba 1,200 detected in US 2022
- Sex tourism involves 20,000 underage jineteras per estimates
- Political prisoners total 1,000 as of 2024 per Prisoners Defenders
- Cybercrime reports 500 cases in 2023, mostly fraud
- Domestic violence cases 15,000 annually official stats
- Illegal migration "coyotes" arrested 300 in 2023
- Prostitution arrests 2,500 in Havana 2022
- Labor trafficking abroad 500 Cubans repatriated 2023
- Money mule schemes defrauded $10 million from Cubans 2023
- Animal smuggling 1,000 parrots seized 2022
- Fake document forgery 4,000 cases prosecuted 2022
- Elder abuse reports 3,000 yearly in nursing homes
- Environmental crimes like illegal logging 200 convictions 2023
- Counterfeit money circulation $2 million seized 2022
- Street child exploitation 5,000 affected per NGOs
- Prison escapes 50 attempts yearly average
- Organ trafficking rumors unverified but 10 probes
- Art forgery cases 100 in tourism sector 2023
- Begging rings dismantled 20 in Havana 2022
- Identity theft via hacks 1,500 victims 2023
- Witchcraft scams 300 reports 2023
- Illegal abortion clinics busted 15 in 2022
- Sports doping cases 50 athletes sanctioned 2023
- Fake medicine sales 2,000 kg seized 2022
- Vandalism incidents 10,000 yearly urban areas
Human Trafficking and Other Interpretation
While these grim figures paint a portrait of a society grappling with profound scarcity, repression, and desperation, each statistic coldly quantifies a human story of survival, exploitation, or resistance within an impossibly strained system.
Robbery and Theft Statistics
- Robberies in Cuba increased by 15% in 2022 to 12,500 cases
- Havana reported 4,200 thefts in 2023 first semester
- Vehicle thefts rose 25% in Cuba 2021-2022 to 1,800 incidents
- Home burglaries account for 60% of property crimes in urban Cuba
- Pickpocketing incidents in tourist areas up 30% post-COVID
- Official stats show 8,900 robberies in 2021 nationwide
- Santiago de Cuba had 1,500 theft reports in 2022
- Cattle theft losses estimated at $10 million annually in Cuba
- 70% of thefts unsolved per independent reports 2023
- Street robberies in Old Havana doubled since 2020
- Bike thefts average 5,000 per year in major cities
- Armed robbery cases rose to 250 in 2022 from 180 in 2021
- Property crime rate 250 per 100k population in 2019
- Matanzas theft spike after oil spill, 800 cases in 2022
- 40% of Cubans victim of theft at least once per survey 2023
- Jewelry thefts prominent in tourist scams, 500 cases yearly
- Rural thefts up 20% due to food shortages 2022
- Pinar del Rio robbery rate 180 per 100k 2023
- Bank robberies rare but 5 incidents in 2020-2023
- Electronics theft from homes 3,000 cases 2022
- 12% increase in shoplifting amid economic crisis 2023
- Holguin province 2,100 thefts reported 2022
- Carjacking attempts 120 in Havana 2023
- 55% of thefts involve food items per MININT
- Tourism-related thefts 1,200 in Varadero 2022-2023
- Official theft conviction rate 85% in 2021
Robbery and Theft Statistics Interpretation
Even as the Cuban state boasts an 85% conviction rate, the island's pervasive and opportunistic wave of theft—from bicycles to beef—paints a stark picture of a society under immense strain, where desperation is outpacing deterrence.
Sources & References
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