Justice Sought for Young Cuban Nurse Who Died Under Suspicious Circumstances

A year has passed since the tragic death of Samantha Heredia, a 22-year-old nurse from Santiago, Cuba. She died after receiving an injection, initially sparking suspicions of a possible femicide. Her husband, Dr. Pedro Manuel Carmenaty, found her in distress and was briefly detained for investigation before being released. However, as the anniversary of Samantha's death arrives, her mother has published a heartfelt piece titled "Not a Minute of Silence," outlining the inconsistencies in the case and demanding true justice for her daughter, whose death was ultimately ruled a "suicide."

Although Samantha's mother, referred to as "Isabel," later removed or altered her post, journalist Yosmany Mayeta preserved her account of the events. In her message, Isabel expresses her grief and quest for answers. "I am a mother without comfort, seeking clear answers. It has been exactly one year. At 5:22 p.m., I received a call from Pedro Manuel Carmenaty saying, 'Isabel, come quickly, take a motorbike and hurry.' Confused, I rushed out with my eldest daughter. When we arrived at their apartment, the door was ajar, and Pedro was with my daughter. I tried to revive her, but she was already cold. He did nothing to help," Isabel recounts.

From the start, Isabel sensed something was wrong. Authorities informed her that Pedro left the apartment around 2:00 p.m. and returned at 5:22 p.m., precisely when he contacted her. "What was Pedro doing between 5:00 and 5:27 p.m. (the time of death)? Was he watching my daughter suffer?" Isabel questions. She also noted the presence of several medicine vials next to her daughter. However, when she returned two hours later to gather clothes for Samantha, the vials had disappeared. "Neighbors, who remain anonymous, told me they saw a young man leaving with a wrapped package after I left with my daughter's body," she adds.

Investigation Irregularities

Isabel faced numerous obstacles and negligence during the legal process. She hired a lawyer, only to let him go because he "never had time to visit the Operations office to inquire about the case." The responses from authorities were consistently evasive. "I visited Operations nearly ten times, and the answers were always the same: 'We have nothing.' The case's instructor was seen only once, and we were always attended by his superior," she lamented.

A particularly disturbing issue was the disappearance of critical evidence. "Thirty-seven days after my daughter's death, I was told the investigation concluded that fingerprints on the syringe and vial belonged to my daughter. However, the forensics expert explained that it was challenging to obtain prints because they were soaking wet," Isabel points out. She wanted to know the batch number of the drug that caused her daughter's death, as it could trace its source. The forensic report lacked this information, and when pressed, officials informed her the vial had "gone missing" at the hospital. "Vital evidence of a homicide vanished. If that information had surfaced, it would have implicated others," the grieving mother asserts.

Overlooked Key Witness

Another alarming aspect was the testimony of a witness who claimed that Pedro's father told colleagues at work that his son had killed his wife with an injection and had another ready for a potential suicide. "I brought a witness to Operations who testified that Pedro's father asked his boss for permission to leave work because his son had just killed his wife with an injection. What happened to that testimony? Nothing," Isabel states. Three days after the killing, Pedro Manuel Carmenaty was released "under investigation," and his father attempted to retract his initial statements.

As investigations proceeded, Isabel discovered that official reports had been altered. "The Provincial Citizenship Office concluded that 'it was not a vial, but a piece of glass.' They changed the report's content," she claims.

Complaints Unanswered

Desperate for answers, Samantha's mother filed complaints with various institutions but received no concrete responses:

• April 14, 2024: Submitted a complaint to the First Secretary of the PCC, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, with no response.
• April 15, 2024: Filed another complaint with the Provincial Health Department, which dismissed the case.
• April 17, 2024: Raised her issue with the Federation of Cuban Women, to no avail.

The Provincial General Prosecutor's Office claimed "there was no evidence," a statement Isabel challenges given the mysterious disappearance of all pertinent materials. Six months later, the case was closed, leaving Samantha's mother without answers. "I know nothing will bring her back, but I demand justice and clear answers," she states firmly. Isabel continues to fight to ensure her daughter's suspected femicide does not remain unresolved.