drawing from my own experience in an american city where crime has been mostly on the decline, this is absolutely plausible:
Last March, a representative of the public prosecutor’s office said there was no rise in criminality, but that the gradual widening of internet access for Cubans increases “the visibility” of the kind of crime that previously stayed in the shadows, and that online platforms are “spaces that also distort things that have happened.”
There may be an increase in petty crime, idk, I know the economic situation is not great rn, but to say that crime is getting out of control based on increasing social media reports (in a country which until recently had low levels of internet access), is not a reliable measure, and the "independent journalists" could be about as reliable as the self styled journalist that runs my local facebook crime watch page and just sits on the police scanner and sensationalizes every little thing that comes across it. Or they could be reputable but I'm not super inclined to give capitalist media criticizing a socialist country the benefit of the doubt
This is US Propaganda. El Pais is not above publishing NED folks, plus:
The results of a digital poll carried out by the platform Cubadata, which measures citizen insecurity on the island, showed that 61% of respondents say they had been victim of some kind of violence or crime in Cuba in 2022. Of this group, only 14.6% said they had reported it to the police.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening Independent Civil Society Organizations’ Capacity
$500,000
To enhance the ability of Cuban independent civil society (ICSOs) and other relevant actors to build informed advocacy agendas and refine communication strategies based on the voluntary and independent opinions, needs, and perceptions of Cubans on the island, the Institute proposes to support public opinion polling through the implementation of nine large-scale research panels. In coordination with the Institute, CubaData will utilize the polling data to analyze Cubans’ needs, perceptions and beliefs about topics of public interest. The Institute will train on-island ICSOs and other actors such as self-employed (cuentapropistas), women, artists, and religious groups in strategic scenario planning, interpretation of CubaData survey results and tactics for strategic advocacy and communication initiatives. The Institute will also support the development of an alliance of regional civil society organizations, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing rights and freedoms in Cuba, to serve as an advisory group that will help guide the panels and disseminate the results of the surveys at the regional level.
Author's writing record is constantly talking about Cuba's imminent collapse. It's giving gusano: https://english.elpais.com/author/carla-gloria-colome-santiago/
Also they work at the Miami herald
