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August 4, 2025 – Cuba –
Enrique Pérez Fumero, a Cuban journalist, university professor, and Doctor of Science affiliated with the official CMKC radio station, was savagely assaulted in the early hours of Sunday in Santiago de Cuba. The attack, publicly denounced by fellow journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, has sparked outrage and demands for justice, especially in light of official silence from the media and authorities.
The assault occurred near Barnada and San Mateo streets in the heart of Santiago de Cuba, just blocks away from the symbolic Moncada Barracks. Pérez was left with a fractured skull base and multiple facial fractures and is currently hospitalised in the neurosurgery ward of Saturnino Lora Provincial Hospital. Mayeta, who shared updates via Facebook, noted Pérez is barely able to breathe or speak but is alive.
While the attackers stole a pair of shoes, a phone, and a wallet, Pérez’s family suspects the excessive violence may indicate a homophobic motive. The lack of response from cultural institutions and state media, despite Pérez’s long service, has only intensified public concern. Mayeta condemned the silence from CMKC and called for a transparent investigation and prosecution of the attackers, warning, “Today it was Enrique… tomorrow it could be anyone.”
This attack comes amid a disturbing wave of street violence in Cuba. In Havana, an elderly woman was found unconscious and severely beaten after being missing for hours. In separate incidents, an armed gang was apprehended in Havana and Pinar del Río for carrying out robberies, and a young man in Holguín was arrested for assaulting an elderly victim. Meanwhile, a court in Guantánamo sentenced members of a violent robbery network to lengthy prison terms.
The assault on Pérez has become a flashpoint in the growing conversation about violence, insecurity, and the failure of Cuban authorities to protect vulnerable voices, including journalists who remain at risk for simply being who they are and doing their work.
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