Cemetery profaned in Sancti Spíritus: human remains stolen

The neighbors of the Kilo 12 neighborhood in the Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus experienced a scene worthy of a horror movie last Saturday: they found a human skull abandoned in the middle of the street.

This discovery not only caused alarm but also confirmed a dark rumor that had been circulating in the community: the theft of remains from the cemetery in the area, as revealed by a report published by 14yMedio.

The digital site published photos on the social media platform Instagram and had access to several people, who indicated that this is not the first time such events have occurred. "They are stealing the dead," one of them stated before adding that the remains are taken and sold afterwards.

This phenomenon, although eerie, seems to be related to a lack of surveillance and maintenance and the overcrowding of graves, making it nearly impossible to walk without stepping on one.

The journalistic work shows that vegetation is growing unchecked and -in several corners- garbage accumulates. Even more concerning is the presence of destroyed coffins and remains outside their graves, with funeral cloth scattered everywhere.

The fate of the cemetery did not change even though the province was the venue for the celebrations for July 26. Furthermore, the complaints from the citizens have been varied.

However, the problem is not exclusive to Sancti Spíritus and its surroundings. Necropolises across Cuba are facing a crisis of resources and maintenance, which is not new either.

According to a report published by the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (Iclep) last year, the administrator of the Kilo 12 necropolis, Victoria Fernández, stated that the available resources are insufficient and the workforce is very scarce to carry out the necessary maintenance work.

Despite the fact that Cuban health regulations stipulate that the State must ensure the proper care of cemeteries and handle human remains with strict hygienic measures, the reality in the main necropolises seems to be very far from what is stipulated.

The crisis in these cemeteries reflects a deeper problem: the neglect of basic infrastructure and the lack of resources to maintain essential services in good condition.

Meanwhile, the communities near these necropolises must deal with the psychological and social impact of living close to a ruined cemetery, where even the dead are not safe from desecration.

This scandal not only highlights the urgent need for resources and improvements in the management of cemeteries, but it also questions the state's ability to comply with its own regulations regarding public health and human dignity.