Model's Struggle with Addiction Sparks Plea for Help

Social media is abuzz with an urgent plea for Zuyen García, a once-prominent Cuban model and artist who is now battling a severe addiction. Those closest to her, including her friends and family, have initiated a public campaign seeking immediate assistance to provide her a genuine chance at recovery from her dire situation, which has severely impacted her physically and emotionally.

Once celebrated for her modeling career, Zuyen is now more recognized on the streets of Havana for her deteriorated health. Sadly, some have captured images or videos of her without permission, spreading them online under the derogatory nickname “la flaca busca plata,” a term that mocks and dehumanizes her.

In response to this merciless exposure, her loved ones are speaking out, not to judge but to extend a helping hand. “Today, we come not just with a simple request, but with a silent scream born of anguish and profound love,” Anabel Carreras shared in a heartfelt Facebook post. She emphasized that Zuyen, despite her struggles, is a mother, an art lover, a former model, a friend, whose laughter once spread joy. “That light is now dangerously dim,” she noted.

Messages of support and sorrow accompanied her post: “Seeing her in such a critical state is unbearable pain for her family, her daughter, and those who care for her,” they added, appealing for financial, medical, and human assistance so she can access specialized treatment and comprehensive support.

“We are speaking of a humble young woman, with good values and principles, imaginative, with a talent for design, and a dynamic personality that allowed her to foray into modeling,” wrote Gfita Naranjo in a parallel post. “Today, she is merely a familiar face on the streets, but she is so much more than that. She is a testament to how drugs can destroy a brilliant human being and turn them into their worst version,” he stressed.

The campaign leaders are not only seeking financial aid to admit her to a rehabilitation center but also calling for respect, collective ethics, and the emotional responsibility of those who consume and share content on social media. “I can’t bear to see people using social media to degrade a human being who has hit rock bottom, while her mother suffers and cares for her granddaughter alone,” Gfita denounced. “May God intervene, and this message reach someone with the genuine intent to assist,” he emphasized.

The appeal remains a grassroots effort, from the hearts of those who still see in Zuyen the woman she was, the mother she is, and the person who deserves to reclaim her life. Her close ones urge that social media should cease to be a space of mockery and morbid curiosity and become a channel for assistance, compassion, and social justice. “The person we know still resides within her deserves a real chance,” they conclude.

Zuyen García's situation is not an isolated case. In recent years, the rise of synthetic drug use and the breakdown of institutional support have highlighted a silent crisis in Cuba. A young man from Havana recounted how he nearly died due to his addiction to a chemical substance that altered his behavior, ruined his family relationships, and led him to commit acts of violence he deeply regrets.

Everyday scenes depict young people out of control under the influence of unidentified substances. For instance, in Centro Havana, several youths were recorded in critical states, convulsing in public. These images went viral but, instead of prompting governmental action, only fueled social alarm and further stigmatization of the victims.

Meanwhile, experts acknowledge that access to specialized treatment on the island is extremely limited, leaving many affected individuals abandoned or criminalized rather than receiving the proper care they need.