Ariadna Mena Rubio, a Cuban activist and opponent of the regime now residing in Miami since 2023, is experiencing a profound loss following the death of her father, Adalberto Mena Martínez, in Cuba.
The elderly man succumbed to an unidentified virus amid the current surge of illnesses sweeping through Cuba. Ariadna shared on Facebook that the illness "took his life" despite him being "a strong man filled with wisdom."
"Rest in peace my beautiful old man, I never thought something like this would take your life... When a father dies, a part of you dies too," Mena Rubio wrote in a heartfelt tribute to her father.
Known for her activism with the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba (ASIC) and her outspoken stance against the harassment and threats she faced from the Cuban government before her exile, Ariadna expressed that this loss has left her "with a soul shattered into a thousand pieces."
Health Crisis Deepens in Cuba
The death of Mena's father comes amid a severe health crisis in Cuba, where cases of dengue fever and other diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito have surged, leading to numerous fatalities and overwhelming local hospitals.
This week, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) acknowledged the epidemiological emergency. The crisis is exacerbated by the lack of insecticides, fuel, and basic resources needed to conduct fumigation or provide repellents to the general population.
Vice Minister Carilda Peña García admitted that "the country's complex economic scenario doesn't allow for the acquisition of all necessary supplies for antibacterial efforts on a large scale."
The government, lacking adequate means to combat the outbreak of dengue, chikungunya, and other arboviruses currently plaguing the island, persists in maintaining a triumphant tone, touting the "strengths of the Cuban healthcare system."
Understanding Cuba's Health Crisis
What led to the current health crisis in Cuba?
The health crisis is mainly due to a surge in diseases like dengue fever, exacerbated by a lack of essential resources such as insecticides and fuel needed for effective disease control.
How is the Cuban government responding to the health emergency?
Despite acknowledging the epidemiological emergency, the government struggles with insufficient means to combat the outbreak, maintaining a positive rhetoric about the healthcare system's strengths.