Cuban architect Ileana Pérez Drago has shed light on a disturbing reality in Cuba, where the deceased are often denied a respectful burial. She revealed instances where exiled families, who send food packages to their relatives on the island, are forced to use Cubamax cardboard boxes—originally meant for food shipments from Miami—as makeshift coffins due to a shortage of proper caskets.
"Cuba's first priority should be to manage its waste and ensure that its dead can be buried in coffins, something we currently can't even do," Pérez Drago stated during an interview on the country's grim state amidst a potential transition.
With expertise in colonial restoration, having worked for the Office of the Historian of Havana under Eusebio Leal, and having lived in Madrid and Miami, Pérez Drago described a dire situation that extends beyond the lack of coffins: "Bodies remain in homes for more than a day, and there’s not even ice available to preserve them due to power outages."
Energy Crisis Exacerbates Burial Issues
This crisis is underscored by Cuba’s severe energy shortages, with power cuts lasting up to 20 hours daily, preventing proper refrigeration of bodies during home wakes.
Pérez Drago did not hold back in her criticism of the regime, stating, "The real issue is the regime's lack of shame; this dictatorship knows no bounds."
Improvised Solutions Amid Desperation
Her testimony is not isolated. In Holguín, families have resorted to crafting cardboard coffins due to the scarcity, while places like Caibarién have started producing handmade coffins out of desperation.
In Ciego de Ávila, only eight out of nineteen funeral vehicles are operational, and in December 2025, a coffin was transported in a cage truck due to the lack of funeral cars. Coffin glass panels are reused for multiple bodies, and in Holguín, delays in removing corpses have led to neighborhood protests.
The Symbolism of Cubamax Boxes
This situation highlights the dependency of many Cubans on remittances and care packages from exiles, primarily from Miami, using companies like Cubamax. Ironically, the same boxes bringing sustenance to the living are now being used to carry the dead to their final resting places.
Pérez Drago also addressed the political aspects of Cuba's collapse, warning that "the people will not surrender to hunger; they will perish," and suggesting that young leaders imprisoned after the July 11, 2021 protests might be released with a one-way ticket out of the country, as the regime’s only offered solution.
The situation is grimly summarized by a saying circulating among Cubans: "Neither the living nor the dead have dignity."
Understanding Cuba's Burial Crisis
What is causing the shortage of coffins in Cuba?
The scarcity of coffins in Cuba is largely due to economic mismanagement, material shortages, and the broader crisis affecting the country's infrastructure and supply chains.
How are Cuban families coping with the lack of coffins?
Families are improvising with cardboard boxes from companies like Cubamax and crafting handmade coffins due to the severe shortage.
What role does the energy crisis play in the burial issue?
The chronic energy crisis, with frequent power outages, hampers the ability to preserve bodies properly, exacerbating the indignities faced by grieving families.