There have been several violent deaths reported in Santiago over the past few weeks. Still, neither the National Police nor the Public Prosecutor’s Office has been able to explain the circumstances or identify the offenders. The artist Victor Erarte’s death on Sunday at his home in this city’s Jardines Metropolitanos neighborhood was the most recent unsolved homicide.
Erarte’s body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Sciences to determine the cause of death because it had blunt force injuries. The authorities always respond that they are investigating, even though Listin Diario journalists frequently ask police officers and prosecutors for information about unexplained deaths and assaults.
Hermes Batista, the president of the Santiago Neighborhood Council, argued that implementing effective policies rather than changing the police chief is the best way to address insecurity issues. Aside from the fact that they produce results, violent incidents in the nation also have economic implications. The Cienfuegos community leader asserted that some gangs “operate with the consent of the authorities themselves.”