Prominent Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer, head of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), has raised concerns about a disturbing surge in deaths due to chikungunya and other mosquito-borne viruses in Santiago de Cuba and other regions. He describes this as part of “the deepest health and humanitarian crisis in the nation's history.”
In a video shared across social media platforms, Ferrer emphasized that infants just months old, as well as the elderly, are succumbing to illnesses spread by mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, and the Oropouche virus. These outbreaks have proliferated nationwide over recent months.
“Cubans of all ages, especially children and the elderly, continue to die from chikungunya and other arboviruses impacting numerous citizens. The epidemiological situation in our country is quite severe,” stated Ferrer from Miami, where he arrived after being exiled in mid-October.
Ferrer disclosed that a godson of his wife, Dr. Nelva Ismarays Ortega Tamayo, recently passed away after contracting chikungunya. “He was just a few months old. We cared for him, helped him feed, but the lack of medicine and medical care made it impossible,” he mourned.
While the Ministry of Public Health has acknowledged the rise in arboviral cases, it has not provided precise figures for infections or fatalities. Experts consulted warn that the healthcare system is overwhelmed, with shortages in lab reagents, insecticides, essential medications, and adequate medical personnel.
The dissident also highlighted the dire state of funeral services, exacerbating families' grief. “When someone in the family dies, everything becomes complicated. There are no hearses. Families have to rent private vehicles to transport the deceased to the cemetery,” he recounted.
The footage shared by Ferrer confirms that in Santiago, numerous hearses are out of service due to lack of parts or fuel. Countless reports from Cubans indicate that funeral services in other provinces suffer from the same plight.
The images accompanying Ferrer's report include poignant scenes: a group of Cubans manually carrying a coffin from a modest home to a private vehicle, in the absence of available hearses.
The lack of resources and improvisation starkly illustrate the collapse of funeral services in Cuba, where families must now handle even the final farewell to their loved ones on their own.
Ferrer placed the blame squarely on the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel and the “socialist state enterprise” for the deterioration of basic services. “Everything is functioning very poorly. That is the tyranny's management, a great failure,” he asserted.
Ferrer’s statements add to numerous public complaints about the deadly combination of epidemics, malnutrition, and resource shortages, which are taking the lives of the most vulnerable, while the state maintains a triumphant narrative that clashes with the reality faced by millions of Cubans.
Cuban Health Crisis and Funeral Service Breakdown: Key Questions
What diseases are causing the surge in deaths in Cuba?
The increase in deaths is primarily due to mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, and the Oropouche virus.
How is the healthcare system in Cuba coping with the crisis?
The healthcare system in Cuba is currently overwhelmed, facing shortages in essential medications, lab reagents, and medical staff, exacerbating the crisis.
What challenges are families facing with funeral services in Cuba?
Families are struggling with a lack of hearses and must often rent private vehicles to transport their deceased loved ones, highlighting the collapse of funeral services.