A video shared on Facebook this past Saturday has brought to light a concerning issue: loose cattle wandering across a busy highway near the city of Matanzas. The video captures the alarmed reactions of passengers in a car as they witness the potential danger of a collision.
The footage was recorded by Regla Barbara Llorente Querol, who noted that the vehicle in front of hers nearly collided with the stray cattle.
In her accompanying message, Llorente Querol didn't mince words: "These situations can be avoided. What’s saddening is that this is not an isolated incident but a common occurrence on the Havana-Matanzas highway. Why are no measures being taken?"
The video, captured around 7:15 pm, reveals the disbelief of the car's occupants as they encounter the animals. "What's the need? Are we waiting for someone to die?" they exclaimed.
Stretching approximately 65 miles, the Havana-Matanzas highway is one of Cuba's busiest, catering to both passenger and freight vehicles. This increases the dangers when livestock roam the roads, particularly during low visibility hours.
This incident isn't an outlier. Just a week prior, a bus from the National Bus Company collided with a stray cow on the Central Highway near Ciego de Ávila. The accident resulted in damage to the bus's front end but thankfully no human casualties.
Cuban legislation addresses this issue directly: the Road Safety Code prohibits animals on the roadway, and Decree 70 of 2022 imposes fines up to 20,000 pesos per loose animal found, in addition to confiscation. Yet, these penalties have not effectively curbed the neglect in securing livestock.
In the first half of 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture identified 106 stray animals during inspections on major highways, issuing 210 fines amounting to over 2.2 million pesos and seizing 278 cattle. The provinces most affected include Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, and Mayabeque.
Cuba's ongoing economic crisis has further deteriorated livestock infrastructure, making it easier for animals to escape or graze uncontrolled along roadways.
Traffic accident statistics in Cuba paint a grim picture: 2025 recorded 750 fatalities and over 7,500 accidents nationwide, according to the National Commission for Road Safety. Incidents involving loose animals constitute a significant portion of these figures.
Addressing Road Safety Concerns in Cuba
What measures are in place to prevent loose cattle on Cuban highways?
Cuba's Road Safety Code prohibits animals on highways, and Decree 70 of 2022 enforces fines up to 20,000 pesos per animal. These measures aim to deter owners from neglecting their animals.
How significant is the problem of loose cattle in Cuba's traffic accidents?
Loose cattle contribute notably to traffic accidents in Cuba, with such incidents forming a significant part of the 7,500 accidents recorded in 2025.