A Man Dies Publicly in Central Havana as Authorities Stand By

In a tragic incident in Central Havana, a man collapsed and died in broad daylight near the Parque de la Fraternidad, his body left exposed for hours to passersby and police without any intervention to cover or remove it.

Witnesses captured the scene on video, which quickly circulated on social media, sparking outrage and sorrow among thousands of Cubans who see it as yet another example of the widespread neglect plaguing the nation.

The video, which vividly captures the tragedy, was first shared by Cuban dissident and former political prisoner José Daniel Ferrer and swiftly went viral online.

In the footage, a bystander sums up the suspected cause of death with a telling phrase: “hunger, the virus, and everything else.” Though no official medical diagnosis has been confirmed, there is a shared understanding that this man fell victim to the severe social, health, and economic decline affecting millions in Cuba.

The video shows the man, visibly emaciated and frail, sitting next to a portico. He wears a lowered face mask and a T-shirt depicting Che Guevara. Around him, dozens of people observe the scene.

In recent hours, the footage was also shared by journalist Mario Vallejo, who condemned the indifference shown towards the incident:

“Central Havana, Cuba. A man says ‘I feel unwell,’ someone offers him a seat… and he dies right there. On the street. In full view of everyone. Under a sun that feels like lead on a country without a pulse. The worst part isn’t the death. The worst part is the indifference.”

Vallejo criticized the fact that the body remained unattended for hours without medical care, coverage, or any sign of respect from the authorities. The police, as seen in the footage, stood by without taking effective action.

This scene not only highlights the collapse of the health system but also illustrates the societal decay. Death, instead of causing shock, seems to have become a mundane event met with resignation.

Vallejo starkly summarized the situation:

“The police talk as if they’re standing over a dead dog, not a Cuban who, until yesterday, breathed, suffered, endured. [...] In Cuba, people no longer ask how someone died. They ask how long it will take to collect the body.”

The image communicates a powerful message: the lifeless body, the Che Guevara T-shirt, the lowered mask, the extreme thinness—all symbolize decay and abandonment.

It encapsulates the current state of Cuba: ideological promises starkly contrasted with a reality where neither the living nor the dead receive proper care.

The identity of the deceased and the exact cause of death remain unconfirmed. However, what is clear is that this is not an isolated incident but rather a reflection of a profound crisis, where poverty, malnutrition, lack of medications, and the absence of a social safety net converge.

“This is how a failed state functions: it abandons both the living and the dead. [...] It’s an entire country in a state of neglect,” Vallejo concluded in his post.

This event has struck a chord with many Cubans, serving as a stark reminder of how deeply normalized precariousness has become.

The anonymous and unattended death of this Cuban has thus become a new symbol of the island’s humanitarian crisis, where life loses value each day, and death no longer evokes shock—it merely confirms the disaster.