A refrigerated trailer from the Mexican company Richmeat was involved in an accident on Tuesday, May 13, on a road in the Majibacoa municipality, Las Tunas province, when the trailer visibly bent, partially blocking the roadway.
The incident was captured on video by witnesses and shared on social media, showing how the structure of the trailer became visibly bent, partially blocking the road. “Oh, it’s loaded with boxes of chicken!,” lamented a witness passing through the area in the video.
Although no injuries have been reported so far, the incident has sparked a wave of comments on platforms like Facebook, where several users speculate that the accident may have been due to the poor condition of the road or the excess and improper distribution of the load.
The accident occurred specifically in the locality of Blanca Rosa, as detailed by users of the group “Accidentes Buses & Camiones.”
The accident truck belongs to the company Richmeat, widely criticized for its ties to the Cuban regime.
Although officially presented as a company with “100% foreign capital” of Mexican origin, multiple hints suggest that it operates as a commercial facade of the Cuban state. Its most well-known product on the island is the picadillo "El Cocinerito", frequently criticized for its low quality.
The images show a second truck from the same company stopped next to the affected one, while motorcyclists and passersby cautiously surround the scene. Two warning triangles were placed to alert other drivers, although traffic was clearly impacted.
This accident occurs in a troubling context: according to figures released by the Minister of Transportation Eduardo Rodríguez Ávila, deaths from accidents in Cuba increased by 18% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year.
Las Tunas ranks among the provinces with the highest increase in road mortality, following Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, and Granma.
Richmeat and its presence in Cuba
Richmeat de Cuba S.A. was the first foreign company to establish itself in the Special Development Zone of Mariel (ZEDM), opening its meat processing plant in January 2020.
In March 2023, the factory was producing about 3,000 metric tons of minced meat per month, although production has currently decreased to over 2,000 metric tons per month.
The company has been recognized by the Cuban regime with the distinction of “National Vanguard” for the third consecutive year in 2024, despite criticism regarding the quality of its products and the widespread food shortages in the country.
In November 2023, Richmeat announced the opening of a second meat processing plant in Cuba, aimed at the production of sausages.
In addition, in March 2025, the company took over the management and marketing of the commercial complex "La Favorita Meat Products Store" in Havana, in partnership with the Cuban state-owned Tiendas Caribe.
Despite its expansion, the company has faced criticism for the quality of its products. In February 2022, a consumer found a frog inside a package of seasoned mixed picadillo produced by Richmeat, which sparked outrage and raised questions about the hygiene in the production of its products.
The presence of companies like Richmeat in the Cuban market continues to generate controversy, particularly due to the opacity of their operations and the questionable quality of the food they distribute.
A new case in a series of similar incidents
This accident adds to a series of similar incidents that have occurred in recent years in Cuba, highlighting recurring issues in food transportation on the island.
In January 2025, a truck loaded with chicken overturned in the locality of Río Piedras, in the municipality of Guanabacoa, Havana. Although no injuries were reported, the incident caused alarm among residents and highlighted the fragility of the food distribution system in the country.
A year earlier, in January 2024, a truck carrying a container of chicken had an accident on a road in Las Tunas, spilling the load into the ditch. The incident required the mobilization of cranes to lift the container and relocate it onto the truck's platform.
In August 2021, another truckload of boxes of chicken traveling from Las Tunas to Camagüey overturned on the road. According to witness accounts, residents of the area, upon seeing the overturned truck, began taking the boxes of chicken to their homes, reflecting their desperation in the face of food shortages.
These recurring incidents highlight the need to review and improve the conditions for food transportation in Cuba, as well as to address the underlying causes that contribute to these accidents, such as the condition of the roads, vehicle overloading, and lack of proper maintenance.
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