Cuba: mother with several children orcupto medical offices during a blackout

Since March 11, a Cuban mother with several children orcupor illegally a premises that includes two medical offices in Sancti Spíritus. 

According to a report by Delia Proenza for the state media EscambrayThe incident occurred during a power outage and has left more than 2 patients, including pregnant women and children, without medical services.

The text states that the ocupThe illegal use of the clinics constitutes a crime of usurpation, as set out in Article 421 of the Cuban Penal Code, in force since November 2022.

Rise in the ocupactions of state centers in Cuba

The article states that the mother confronted health personnel and government officials, threatening to set fire to the premises if they tried to evict her. Since then, she has maintained orcupthe health center, despite the legal steps initiated by the authorities.

Several rulers assure that there is an increase in this type of ocupactions since 2019, which also affects other state-owned properties. "We are not going to reward this type of behavior (...) That is not the position, it is not the correct way to manage a housing project," stated Jaile Rabelo Orellana, mayor of the Municipal Government of Sancti Spíritus. 

According to Rabelo Orellana, the mother who now occupies the premises of clinics No. 31 and 32 "was picked up on February 14 at a bus stop at the entrance to Dos Ríos, where she had settled approximately three years ago."

"She was given a comfortable two-bedroom house in the community of Palma, in the former Wilson Rojas school. She sold it and bought a small house in Las Yayas. Less than a year ago, she was returned to the Neonatology Department, where her premature and underweight baby was, because she ran away from there with the baby without a specialist's permission, and the baby was at risk," she told the aforementioned media outlet.

Usurpation: Cuban Penal Code

According to the article, the recupgeneration of other offices orcupIt has been difficult but not impossible. Therefore, the authorities' hope is to regain control of the premises and halt this trend.

According to the Code, orcupUnlawfully seizing or taking possession of another's real property is punishable by imprisonment of six months to two years, a fine of 200 to 500 quotas, or both. The acts described in this section are punishable by imprisonment of two to five years or a fine of five hundred to one thousand quotas, or both, if committed by force, violence, or intimidation of persons.