A surveillance camera captured a young man forcibly entering La Mixóloga, a private restaurant-bar located on L Street between 19th and 21st in El Vedado, Havana, during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Footage shared on Facebook by Pedro Lizardo Garces Escalona shows the suspect behind the bar of the establishment at 6:49 AM while it was still closed to the public.
According to the public report, the individual "used force to break into the restaurant and stole several items from the premises." The closed-circuit recordings, captured by an IMOU camera, help identify the suspect as a young man of medium build, with short, curly hair, wearing a short-sleeved white t-shirt.
The images depict the suspect behind the bar, surrounded by liquor bottles, a cash register, and a laptop. The theft occurred nearly three hours before the business was scheduled to open, as La Mixóloga typically operates from 9 AM to midnight.
Garces Escalona urged the community, "If anyone knows him, can identify him, or has any information, please contact us."
Growing Trend of Private Business Thefts
This incident follows an increasingly common pattern in Havana, where private business owners install security cameras and turn to social media to identify those responsible for thefts, amid widespread perceptions of inadequate police response. Similar cases have been reported in Playa, Marianao, and Vedado in recent months.
Escalating Public Safety Concerns
The theft occurs against a backdrop of heightened public safety concerns. The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Audits documented 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, a 115% increase from 2024 and a 337% jump from 2023, with thefts being the most frequent category: 1,536 cases that year. Havana accounted for 398 of these crimes.
Just four days prior to the incident at La Mixóloga, the U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a warning about a "widespread increase in crime in Cuba," linking it to deteriorating economic conditions and noting a significant rise in thefts and robberies related to automobiles in the capital.
Economic Hardships Fueling Crime
Private businesses—restaurants, cafes, and small enterprises—have become frequent targets of such nighttime or early morning break-ins, a trend that has intensified as the economic crisis deepens living conditions on the Island after more than six decades of dictatorship.
Common Concerns About Theft in Havana
What measures are businesses in Havana taking to prevent theft?
Many businesses in Havana are installing security cameras and using social media to identify thieves due to perceived inadequate police response.
Why is crime increasing in Havana?
Crime is on the rise in Havana due to worsening economic conditions, which have led to increased thefts and robberies.
How has the U.S. Embassy responded to the crime situation in Cuba?
The U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a warning about the rise in crime, connecting it to economic decline and noting a surge in automobile-related thefts and robberies.