The No.13 train traveling from Havana to Guantánamo became the latest victim of vandalism on October 8th when a rock shattered one of its windows between the municipalities of Mella and Baraguá in Santiago de Cuba. Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, the Minister of Transportation, shared on Facebook that the incident sparked panic among passengers, but order was restored thanks to the swift action of onboard authorities, including police officers.
Beatriz Rueda Wilson, a train attendant present in the affected car, described the attack as "despicable," noting that while fear initially gripped the travelers, calmness soon prevailed. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. Orgiel Pérez Milanés, director of the National Routes Agency in Havana, recalled a similar incident two years prior when a young girl was injured by a rock thrown at another train bound for Santiago de Cuba.
Despite the girl receiving prompt medical attention, Pérez emphasized that beyond the repair costs, such acts severely impact the community. Disabling a train car results in 72 people being unable to travel, many of whom have urgent health or family matters.
The official highlighted the established protocol for these situations: the train conductor must report immediately to the nearest railway station, while police officers onboard contact their command post. Subsequently, an operation is launched at the incident site involving police and other investigative bodies.
The Transportation Minister stressed the importance of being relentless in addressing these issues: "Behind those windows often travel innocence—children, the elderly, the sick, lovers, those who cherish their family, going or coming for an embrace."
Recently, another attack occurred on Train No.17, running the Havana-Bayamo route, where rocks damaged the windows of seats 1 and 2 in the second car. The National Passenger Train Company reported on Facebook that the incident happened as the train departed from Jobabo station, at kilometer 45 in Las Tunas.
Back in May, the national train from Havana to Holguín was targeted by rock throwers while passing through Santa Clara in the early morning, resulting in damage to a passenger car window. The Cuban Railways Union shared on Facebook that the incident occurred at 1:00 am at kilometer 277.5 on the central line, near a sawmill, causing damage to a passenger car window.
Trains aren't the only targets; in April, multiple buses in Havana were also attacked with rocks during their regular routes.