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Cuban activist and opposition figure Ariadna Mena Rubio, who has been residing in Miami since 2023, is experiencing profound grief following the death of her father, Adalberto Mena Martínez, in Cuba.
The elderly man died from an unidentified virus amid the current outbreak of illnesses in Cuba. Ariadna stated in a Facebook post that the disease “took his life” despite him being “a strong man full of wisdom.”
"EPD my beautiful old man, I never thought something like this would take your life... When a father dies, a part of you dies with him," wrote Mena Rubio in the emotional message in memory of his dad.
Ariadna Mena, known for her activism within the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba (ASIC) and for having denounced the harassment and threats she faced from the Cuban regime prior to her exile, expressed that the loss leaves her “with her soul shattered into a thousand pieces.”
The death occurs amidst a severe healthcare crisis in Cuba, where cases of dengue and other diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito have surged, leading to numerous fatalities and the collapse of local hospitals.
The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) recognized this week the epidemiological emergency. The situation is characterized by a lack of insecticides, fuel, and basic resources for fumigation or ensuring that the population has access to repellents.
Deputy Minister Carilda Peña García admitted that "the country's complex economic situation does not allow for the massive acquisition of all the necessary supplies for the antibacterial fight."
The government does not have sufficient means to combat the outbreak of dengue, chikungunya, and other arboviral diseases currently affecting the entire island, yet it insists on maintaining an overly optimistic tone and speaking about the "strengths of the Cuban health system."
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