Elderly man missing in Matanzas found dead

An elderly Cuban who was missing in Matanzas was found dead, apparently due to suffering a heart attack.

The user ofFacebook "Con Todos La Victoria", linked to the government, reported that the deceased's name wasJosé Miguel Benavente Álvarez and he was 75 years old.

"He had left his house on March 2 wearing blue overalls and on a yellow bicycle. He was going from La Jaiba, where he lived, heading to Paso del Medio. At night that same day, some friends called his wife to tell her that José Miguel had not arrived at Paso del Medio," he said.

According to the post, the man's family notified the Police, who began the search on Sunday, March 3.

Finally,It was the relatives who found his bodyon the Ceiba Mocha road.

"It was known thathad suffered an acute myocardial infarction and that he had died about 36 hours ago," he added.

The author of the message, concerned more with silencing the population's discontent over the increase in crimes and violence than with reporting the event, emphasized in capital letters thatThe old man's body showed no signs of violence.

He also referred to an alleged manipulation of the incident and, in a gratuitous attack on the independent press, said that the "enemy" was trying to give an "image of insecurity and violence about Cuba."

A man from Matanzas commented that Benavente was a former worker at the Matanzas thermoelectric plant, and that even after many years of retirement he continued working out of monetary need or because he wanted to keep busy, in the cube factory.

"On his bicycle he went everywhere. A very active man, a mechanical engineer, an excellent co-worker and a tireless worker, life was unfair to him when it came to an end like this and he spent so many hours lying on the side of the road without anyone helping him. I couldn't even see him, until they started looking for him," lamented Leonel Rufín Alfonso.

On Sunday, the daughter of the deceased reported inFacebook that his father had been missing since the day before at 5:40 am.

"He is of medium height, green eyes, gray hair, wears blue overalls. He was riding a yellow Niagara bicycle. Please, everyone who can help us in his search will be grateful!" asked Milena Nuñez, who resides in Canada.