Outrage over shocking video of an elderly woman being brutally beaten in the street by a man in Cuba

[SENSITIVE IMAGES WARNING]

A video that has gone viral on social media in recent hours has sparked a wave of outrage among Cubans both on the island and abroad, as it shows a man violently beating an elderly woman in broad daylight.

In the images -initially shared by Cubanos por el Mundo- it can be seen how the driver of a flashy convertible almendrón, typically used for touring tourists in Havana, grabs an elderly woman by her hair while she was seated in the back of the vehicle and slaps her twice with an open hand.

Next to the elderly woman—who is likely suffering from a degenerative illness—there is another woman sitting, who also struggled with the elder.

"I feel a lot of anger and helplessness. This beast hit that woman as if she were a sack. Please, let the networks work their magic and find out who he is. For God's sake! Brazen criminal. You don't do that to a man!", denounced the activist Glenda Rancaño as she echoed the images on Facebook.

Dismay and reports on social media

Hundreds of comments demand justice and call for identifying the attacker by the car's license plate, as well as the woman sitting next to the elderly woman, who can be heard shouting in the video: "Don't bite me!"

In the various forums where the images have been published, numerous internet users have criticized not only the aggressor and their companion but also those who were direct witnesses and did nothing to prevent the violence.

No obstante, after the two brutal slaps, the video captures some people shouting "Abuser!" and other derogatory names towards the aggressor, who even displayed a defiant attitude.

"There is no empathy for anyone's life. Even less for vulnerable elders. Lots of shouting and filming, and even the phrase: 'what a brutal slap to that old woman.' It's outrageous! That seems like a new wealthy mipymero; everyone is recording as usual... and no one does anything," lamented a couple of internet users.

"Let them report him and throw him behind bars," demanded another visibly shocked user.

"It's too easy to find that abuser, just go to where these cars stop," pointed out rapper Michael Marichal, referring to the possibility of tracking the vehicle, a classic car that, according to him, often appears in music videos filmed in Cuba.

"If he does that in the street, imagine what he does at home! The elderly woman is probably ill. But under no circumstances should an elderly person be treated like that,” complained another commentator.

Although it is not confirmed, some Facebook users have speculated that the attacker and his accomplice may perhaps be relatives of the elderly woman, although Cubanos por el Mundo referred to the attacker as a "taxi driver."

The public outcry has been unanimous: bring the perpetrator to justice. Many have demanded that a formal complaint be filed with supporting audiovisual material and the vehicle's license plate clearly visible.

"Humanity is gone," stated an internet user with sadness, while others have urged for maximum dissemination of the video—despite the graphic images—in order to identify those responsible as soon as possible.

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