Kidnappers demand more money to release Cuban doctor in Mexico

The kidnappers of a Cuban doctor in Mexico have raised their ransom demand for his release, and family and friends are pleading for help on social media.

The desperate situation facing the family of Cuban doctor Adrián Pupo Ojeda, who was kidnapped in Mexico while trying to reach the United States, is becoming increasingly complicated.

The kidnappers, who initially requested $10,000 for his release, have increased their demands, according to Cubanet.

After family and friends managed to raise $5,000 through donations from supportive individuals, the captors responded that the amount sent did not reach them directly and demanded an additional sum, threatening to torture Pupo if the ransom was not fulfilled in its entirety.

The Cuban doctor is 28 years old and hails from Puerto Padre, Las Tunas. He emigrated with the dream of achieving better opportunities and providing a more dignified life for his family, especially for his young son.

He arrived in Mexico with the help of a "coyote" who took him to Tapachula, Chiapas, where his relatives received a video confirming his presence on Mexican soil.

However, before continuing his journey north, he was kidnapped by a criminal gang that has since maintained contact with his family through phone calls and video conferences using the doctor's own phone, demanding a high ransom.

Desperate and lacking the resources to cover the new amount, Pupo's family has turned to social media in an attempt to raise the necessary funds.

The situation was initially brought to light by Cuban journalist Mario Pentón, who shared a heartbreaking video in which Pupo's parents plead with the kidnappers to release their son.

Dariannis Méndez, a close friend of Pupo, has been one of the organizers of donations in the United States and expressed to the media her frustration at seeing that efforts to free her friend have not been enough.

"What they are doing is playing with this boy's life, and us, his friends and family, are worried about him," Méndez lamented. Pupo's wife remains in Cuba.

This case highlights the vulnerability of Cuban migrants, as well as those from other nationalities, who are targeted by criminal groups in Mexico that see them as a source of income.

The route to the United States has become a hostile territory for those seeking to escape the crisis in Cuba, facing the risks of kidnapping and extortion by criminal organizations in return.