The remains of the late Cuban urban music artist, José Manuel Carvajal Zaldívar, known by his stage name El Taiger, have been removed from their resting place in Havana after a vandalism incident occurred at the site. Teresa Padrón, the artist's former representative, brought attention to the situation during a live stream on her Instagram account. Padrón recounted that surveillance cameras at the chapel had been stolen a few weeks prior: "A couple of weeks ago the chapel's cameras were taken; we don't know who did it, and no one has any information," she stated.
In light of the theft, the family decided to remove the singer's ashes as a precautionary measure. "Because of what happened, we discussed it and chose to take José out of there. His ashes will only be available on the 10th of each month for people to pay their respects," Padrón shared, visibly shaken by the events.
According to her statements, while nothing was stolen from inside the chapel, the family opted to remove all belongings from the premises. "The only thing taken were the cameras, nothing else. Inside, nothing was stolen, but the family took everything out," she confirmed.
This decision aims to prevent any potential desecration attempts. "I'm extremely scared, and we don't want anyone to enter and take José's ashes away. Everything inside will be returned except for the ashes for now," Padrón concluded.
El Taiger, a highly controversial and popular figure in Cuban urban music, passed away in January 2025, leaving his fans both in Cuba and abroad in shock.
Security Concerns Over El Taiger's Ashes
Why were El Taiger's ashes removed from the cemetery?
The ashes were removed as a security measure after the theft of surveillance cameras from the chapel, raising concerns about potential vandalism or desecration.
What measures are being taken to protect El Taiger's ashes?
The family has decided to remove all belongings from the chapel and limit access to the ashes, allowing public homage only on the 10th of each month.
Was anything else stolen during the chapel incident?
No, only the surveillance cameras were stolen. The family decided to remove all items from inside the chapel as a precaution.