Néstor Jiménez’s Motorcycle Stolen After Havana Premiere

Cuban actor Néstor Jiménez’s motorcycle was stolen in Havana on Friday, October 16, during a celebration following the premiere of Neurótica Anónima, according to the film’s casting director, Libia Batista. Jiménez is part of the cast of the movie directed by Jorge Perugorría.

Batista, who attended the gathering, described the theft in a Facebook post about the premiere celebration. She said a happy evening for the film’s team turned into a sad one after they learned that Jiménez’s motorcycle had been taken.

What is known about the theft of Néstor Jiménez’s motorcycle

Batista went beyond expressing sympathy for Néstor Jiménez. She described theft as a problem that has gotten out of control in Cuba and raised concerns about the danger to people’s lives. She also congratulated Perugorría, known as “Pichi,” and the rest of the team on the film.

Actor Hilario Peña, another cast member who could not attend the gathering, congratulated the filmmakers in the comments and expressed anger at those responsible for the theft. Other users lamented the way the evening had ended and complained about crime on the streets.

Batista’s post does not specify exactly where or how the motorcycle was stolen, or whether Jiménez filed a police report. Cubanos por el Mundo has not confirmed whether it has been recovered.

Ulises Aquino launches an appeal to help replace it

Baritone and theater director Ulises Aquino subsequently called on friends and admirers to contribute toward a replacement motorcycle. He described the stolen vehicle as more than transportation: it was what enabled Néstor Jiménez to earn a living and continue acting.

Aquino said that replacing it would be difficult for an actor of Jiménez’s age who depends on his work for income. His appeal asked supporters to deliver contributions to Al Cabildo, a cultural venue in Havana’s Miramar neighborhood.

According to Aquino’s announcement, organizers would keep a record of contributors who wanted Jiménez to know they had helped, without listing the amount each person gave. He thanked Néstor Jiménez for his contributions to Cuban film, theater and television. The collection is Aquino’s initiative, as described in his post.

A Havana premiere and a bid for the Goya Awards

Neurótica Anónima opened in Cuba on Friday, October 16, at the Yara theater in El Vedado as part of the French Film Festival. The film is scheduled to travel to other Cuban provinces after its Havana opening.

Directed by Jorge Perugorría and written with Mirtha Ibarra, it follows Iluminada, a woman who has spent three decades working as an usher at a Havana movie theater. The screen offers her a refuge from an overwhelming reality.

The film competed at this year’s Málaga Film Festival and is Cuba’s submission for consideration in the best Ibero-American film category at the 41st Goya Awards, scheduled for February 6, 2027, in Pamplona. Being submitted for consideration does not mean it has secured a nomination.

Alongside Ibarra, Jiménez and Peña, the cast includes Roberto Perdomo, Carmen Ruiz, Osvaldo and Andrea Doimeadiós, Fernando Hechavarría and Tahimí Alvariño, among others.

A veteran actor and broader complaints about theft

Born in Trinidad in 1962, Néstor Jiménez trained at Cuba’s National Art School. His long career includes the films Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta and Zafiros, locura azul, as well as the television drama Las huérfanas de la Obrapía.

The theft described by Batista adds to recent accounts of robberies and assaults shared publicly by Cubans. Those individual reports illustrate residents’ concerns; they do not, by themselves, establish a statistical trend in crime.

Cubanos por el Mundo recently reported on a woman attacked with a bat during an attempted robbery in Havana. In Matanzas, the newsroom also covered the publicized return of a stolen electric scooter. Both reports are available in Spanish.

American English adaptation of Cubanos por el Mundo’s original Spanish-language report. The account of the theft is attributed to Libia Batista; the replacement appeal is attributed to Ulises Aquino.