Auto racket, crime scandals taint Havana.

Two major scandals have rocked Havana recently.

The first involved visiting Latin American university students who were authorized to buy imported cars. As soon as they got their permission and bought their cars, the students began selling them to Cubans, in dollars, at a profit. Athletes, artists, writers and other Cubans with access to dollars readily snatched up the cars, disregarding official red tape and regulations.

State Security soon found out and confiscated the automobiles from their Cuban buyers, giving them lectures and warnings but not returning their money. The outraged Cubans protested by various means, including sending scores of letters to Cuban authorities.

One Cuban reportedly killed a Venezuelan student over the affair.

The second scandal deals with a growing wave of public insecurity around the recently built condos, aparthotels and office buildings in Havana's up-and-coming Miramar district.

Small bands of street thugs in groups of three or five have reportedly been tracking such facilities, especially the entrance areas. They've attacked vehicles and their drivers for "short-term" kidnapping operations, netting several thousands of dollars each.

But one episode ended in tragedy for the thugs, who attacked an Italian businessman driving a Mercedes-Benz sport-utility vehicle. To their surprise, the SUV was armored and the Italian not only dodged the assault but managed to run over one of his attackers.