Desecration of graves and thefts in the cemetery of Las Tunas

Residents in the Cuban province of Las Tunas reported the desecration of graves at the Vicente García cemetery, where several tombs have been violated and the remains of the deceased are scattered on the ground.

A woman identified as Daysi Aguilera Santiesteban, 69 years old, told the local Periódico 26 that she attempted to exhume the remains of her brother (a combatant of the Angola war), her father (noted for his fight against bandits), and her other deceased brother (also an internationalist soldier), and found a terrifying scene.

The pantheon had been violated, and the remains of their loved ones lay scattered on the ground. Likewise, the three small caskets containing their bones had been stolen.

The woman recounts that she then began a long pilgrimage through local institutions: the Police, the Prosecutor's Office, the Municipal Government, where she encountered a lack of sensitivity and mistreatment from public officials, who did not listen to her complaints.

Jorge Gordales Reyes, the administrator of the cemetery, acknowledged the lack of security in the area, especially after 5:00 pm.

“We are in a complex neighborhood, and although we have cleaned and organized, the problems persist,” he stated. He also emphasized that they work under very difficult conditions, are poorly paid, and lack resources.

Misleydis Fernández Jiménez, secretary of the Party nucleus and a cemetery worker for 21 years, confirmed the difficult conditions under which they operate.

"Nobody wants to make an effort for such a low salary in the midst of so many hardships," he said. He also explained that the area where the cemetery is located has a high crime rate, experiences frequent blackouts, and dozens of families are living in extreme poverty.

The situation at the Vicente García provincial cemetery is not exclusive to Las Tunas; recent reports on Facebook indicate that other locations have similar problems.

Two months ago, it was reported that Las Tunas is the only Cuban province without a crematorium, forcing residents to travel to other cities to use this service.

The official newspaper Periódico 26 reported that if the relatives of the deceased wish to use this service, they must carry out the cremations in Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, or other provinces, first processing the request through the Comunales Enterprise, which implies that bureaucratism adds to the pain of the moment.

Also, last year there were reports of thefts and graves desecration in the city cemetery.