A Cuban mother has been searching for her son, Reinel Porra Cervantes, for two years. He disappeared at the age of 19 while serving in the military. The young man was last seen on July 19, 2022, when he entered a military unit in Topes de Collantes, in the province of Sancti Spíritus, on leave.
A post in the Facebook group "No more victims in military service in Cuba" claims that the mother, Araceli Cervantes Rabí, has reached out to the provincial Prosecutor's Office and the provincial Delegation, only to be told repeatedly: "We are working on the case."
Reinel Porra left for his unit, as usual. He reported in, and "out of the blue," the bosses called to say that he had allegedly escaped. Later, they claimed he had gone to a party, but nothing more is known. There is no trace of his belongings, neither his nor his phone. Nothing. The family feels "bound hand and foot, and the pain grows stronger each day," wrote Clara Toledo, a close friend of the young man's mother.
According to what the mother has shared, she is from a batey in Jatibonico called "Trilladera"; she has three daughters and the young man who is missing is her only son, for whom she desperately asks to know his whereabouts. "Please, give me a sign of you. I am waiting for news from you, my son. Where are you?"
She also reminds that she has systemic lupus and is currently experiencing hair loss. In this situation, she asks all mothers and fathers who read her message to pray for her to be able to see her son again. Meanwhile, the person speaking on her behalf, Clara Toledo, states that she is confident they will one day know what really happened to her.
Amidst her desperation, the mother of the missing young man pleads that if someone is hiding her son, they should consider the anguish she is experiencing. "All I want is a sign that my son is alive," she added.
"Reinelito, my son, may God help and protect you wherever you are. Without you, I am nobody," she wrote on Clara Toledo's Facebook.
The young Reinel Porra entered the Military Unit on Wednesday, July 19, 2022, and they haven't heard from him since. "I hope and pray that you are well, my child, but your mother is slowly falling apart," she added in another post.
The post by this mother has caused a stir among the many followers of a group opposing mandatory military service in Cuba. "Many things happen during military service that sometimes, supposedly, they cannot explain to us. Reinel Porra Cervantes, 19 years old, missing from military service. To this day, no one has given us answers," wrote user Anailín Vázquez.
"Take care wherever you are, my brother. If you've made this decision, I stand with you. I just ask that you take good care of yourself wherever you are. The story will continue, but together," commented Yoandi Toledo.
In recent months, several Cuban families have been shattered by the deaths of their children while serving in the military. One such case is that of Adrián Rodríguez García from Santa Clara, who had completed his service in 2023 but was being punished and was set to be discharged in early January 2024. However, on December 31, he was struck by a vehicle and left to die on the side of the road. That day, his mother had gone to visit him, and upon returning home four hours later, she received the tragic news from the unit. The trial for this case was recently held, and the reckless perpetrator faces a maximum sentence of 9 years in prison, while young people who peacefully protested on July 11, 2021, have been sentenced to 23 years.
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