Safety issues in Cuba

Your safety will always be a concern every time you go abroad either for pleasure or for business. However I intend in this article to clear of your mind any doubts regarding safety issues in Cuba.

Without a question Cuba is one of the safest places in the world for holiday makers. The Cuban government keeps crime in Cuba at a very low level. Tourism is the main industry in this country and Cuba will not spare any means necessary to keep it safe for tourist. As you all probably know Cuba is a socialist country and the image they portrait to the world is a priority for the Cuban government. I have lived in Cuba almost all my life and very rarely you hear about major crimes, like gun shooting, kidnapping, rape or violence in the streets. Of course you will always find cases of burglary, pick pocketing and other minor crimes but unfortunately for us that is the kind of crime that you will probably find every where in the world.

To make things even more difficult for offenders in Cuba, the government has implemented a tight control in the streets. Literally you will find a couple of policemen in almost every corner in the most popular tourist areas. I can not forget to mention a very special force that has been in place almost from the very beginning of the Revolution, The CDR (Committee of Defence of The Revolution) which keeps an eye on delinquent elements on every neighbourhood of Cuba.

You might be thinking, well yes of course it has to be safe with so much police and control in the street, but I disagree with that. Cuban people, and you will see this yourself, are the friendliest and most welcoming people you will probably get to meet in your life.

There are of course some precautions you should take. In Cuba there is no need to carry your passport with you everywhere you go. It is advisable to keep it in the safe box in your hotel room, together with other documents you might consider important. Try to avoid carrying huge amounts of money in the streets and by all means avoid public transportation, which is almost non existent anyway. Keep a close eye to items like video or photo cameras, mobiles and jewellery in general and please if you are hiring a car try not to take hitch hikers on board because you might get mugged. This is very common crime in Cuba.

In the very odd case that something happened to you in the streets contact your hotel or even better your representative if you have one and ask for help with regards to translation services for your statement in a police station. You will require this statement if you are planning to claim anything from your insurance company.

If you have any other concern regarding your safety in Cuba and require advice please do not hesitate to get in touch. I will love to offer you all the information you need.