Cemetery in Camagüey Sparks Outrage: Even in Death, There's No Rest in Cuba

Recent images shared on social media have unveiled the alarming decay of the Cemetery in Camagüey, revealing coffins lining the corridors, open vaults, and exposed human remains. These photos and videos, widely circulated by users, have ignited a wave of indignation among Cubans both at home and abroad.

“Over 20 coffins remain in the cemetery aisles because there’s no space to bury the deceased,” reported independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, sharing a stark image of the cemetery's current state.

In a subsequent video, a woman filming inside the graveyard exhibits both disbelief and desperation: “Look around, there’s no place to lay the dead… the aisles are sealed because there's nowhere else… you can see the maggots, the remains, people rotting here, uncovered.” Her companion adds, “It’s blatant disrespect in this country… four bodies crammed into each hole.”

Public Outcry and Health Concerns

The distressing scenes of blocked pathways by funeral boxes and unsealed vaults drew comments lamenting institutional neglect. Many remarked, “If there’s no respect for the living, there’s even less for the dead,” and noted that “no leader will be buried like this.” Others described the situation as a “lack of humanity” and a “national disgrace.”

There were also grave concerns about public health risks. One user warned, “When those bodies start emitting gases, it will be a sanitary bomb,” while another urged for an “epidemiological emergency” to be declared. The breakdown of the provincial crematorium has been cited as a contributing factor to the chaos: “The crematorium’s failures have led to this disaster. Many families want to cremate their deceased and receive no response,” a commenter noted.

A Broader Crisis

Images later shared by CiberCuba Noticias on Facebook elicited similar reactions. Numerous readers expressed shock at what they called “disrespect towards the deceased” and an “unprecedented moral degradation.” “A society must honor its dead. Cemeteries are sacred spaces for our loved ones to rest,” one user commented. Others mourned the visible decay, recalling that “Camagüey’s cemetery was always clean and cared for, and seeing it like this is painful.” Messages of hopelessness echoed: “There’s no respect or dignity, the dead lie in the open,” “This is out of control,” and “Not even the dead can rest in peace here.”

Ongoing Neglect

The deterioration at the Camagüey Cemetery is not a recent development. Last August, a woman reported the theft of her father’s headstone, highlighting the lack of security and neglect. Neighbors and relatives have since reported overgrown weeds, destroyed vaults, and exposed remains. Many assert that the situation worsens due to the absence of maintenance, materials, and staff, while local authorities remain silent.

National Health and Funeral Crisis

This cemetery collapse is part of a broader national health and funeral crisis that deepens while official discourse insists “everything is under control.” Cuban doctor Alexander Figueredo Izaguirre shared a video this week showing trucks transporting bodies from hospitals due to a lack of funeral vehicles. According to his report, hospitals are overwhelmed by a “brutal epidemic resurgence” of dengue, chikungunya, Oropouche, and influenza, in a system lacking oxygen, medications, and medical staff.

Meanwhile, the death of eight individuals from the University of Oriente in Santiago de Cuba has stirred alarm and institutional silence. These deaths, occurring over just a month, add to reports of rising fever cases and deteriorating sanitary conditions in educational and hospital facilities in the eastern part of the country.

As long as no official response is provided, the images from Camagüey Cemetery continue to circulate online, symbolizing the institutional abandonment and healthcare collapse impacting even the final rest. One user encapsulated the widespread sentiment: “Neither the living nor the dead have peace in this country.”