The Cuban community residing in Chile swiftly gathered the necessary funds to cremate the body of Yudisleidy Rodríguez Castellón, a 41-year-old Cuban woman who passed away in Santiago, and to send her ashes back to Cuba. This was confirmed by the Facebook group Cubans in Iquique on Friday.
"Thank you to everyone who donated from various parts of Chile. We will share details on how the resources were used once the process of sending the ashes and her belongings to the family in Cuba is completed," stated user Catalina Bosch Carcuro in the group.
The announcement came just a day after the family made an urgent plea for assistance, with only a 48-hour window due to Chilean health regulations, to cover the cost of cremation and associated procedures, totaling 1,200,000 Chilean pesos (approximately $1,320).
Yudisleidy faced complications from a cerebral aneurysm while in Chile. According to Zailín Montesinos on Facebook, she had planned to travel to Cuba but was unable to board her flight due to an expired passport.
While attempting to return to Iquique by bus, she collapsed and was rushed to Santiago's Posta Central, where she remained in a coma in the intensive care unit.
Medical staff struggled to locate any family or acquaintances in Chile since she was alone in the country. A nurse eventually reached out to members of the Cuban community, who then contacted Yudisleidy's mother in Cuba.
After her death was confirmed on Friday, Heidy Torres issued a call for help in the Cubans in Iquique group. "We need to gather the money today," Torres wrote in the post.
On Thursday, when the situation appeared dire, the deceased's mother, Belkis Castellón, made a public plea, "I am just a desperate mother wanting to feel her daughter close."
The wave of solidarity ignited on social media allowed the funds to be collected in record time, fulfilling the family's wish for Yudisleidy's remains to return to the Island.
This situation is part of a recurring pattern among the Cuban diaspora in Chile and Latin America, where migrants often pass away alone, without close family in their country of residence, and without means to afford funeral and repatriation costs.
In the absence of state mechanisms to facilitate these processes, community groups on social media have become the main channel for assistance.
This is not the first occurrence of this kind. In February 2024, friends of a Cuban woman who died in Arica sought help to repatriate her body to the island so that her mother and child could bid her farewell.
Soon after, in June of the same year, a Cuban migrant died at the Chile-Bolivia border under similarly tragic circumstances.
The Cuban community in Chile numbers over 21,300 people, according to the National Migration Service, with a significant concentration in Iquique and the Tarapacá region, which house approximately 10.8% of the estimated Cuban migrants in the country.
FAQs on Cuban Community Support in Chile
How did the Cuban community in Chile manage to gather funds so quickly?
The Cuban community in Chile utilized social media platforms like Facebook to quickly mobilize and gather donations from various parts of the country, demonstrating solidarity and efficiency in times of crisis.
What challenges did Yudisleidy Rodríguez face in Chile?
Yudisleidy Rodríguez encountered severe health issues due to a cerebral aneurysm and was unable to return to Cuba because her passport was expired. She was alone in Chile, complicating efforts to contact family members.
Why are social media groups important for Cuban migrants in Chile?
Social media groups serve as crucial support networks for Cuban migrants in Chile, providing a platform for communication, assistance, and quick mobilization of resources, especially in emergencies.