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On March 2nd, the one-year anniversary of the death of Samantha Heredia was marked. Samantha was a 22-year-old nurse from Santiago who passed away due to the administration of an injection.
Initially, the case was reported as a possible femicide.
It is now known that the young woman was allegedly found dying by her husband, the doctor Pedro Manuel Carmenaty, who was held in custody for a few days under investigation, until he was released.
However, a year after the tragic event, the young woman's mother recently published an extensive text titled "Not a Minute of Silence," in which the grieving woman outlined the inconsistencies in the investigation and calls for true justice for her daughter, whose case apparently has been categorized as "suicide."
Although “Isabel”, the name of Samantha's mother, apparently deleted or changed the settings of her post, journalist Yosmany Mayeta timely retrieved the account of events from the victim's own words.
The fateful day
"I am a mother in despair who is only seeking clear answers. Exactly one year ago today, at 5:22 p.m., I received a call from Pedro Manuel Carmenaty saying, 'Isabel, come quickly, take a motorcycle and come fast.' Without understanding anything, I rushed out with my eldest daughter. Upon arriving at the apartment where they lived, the door was ajar and Pedro was with my daughter. I threw myself at her, screaming and trying to revive her, but she was already cold. He did not assist her," the woman begins to explain.
From the beginning, Isabel noticed that something was off. According to the information provided to her by the authorities based on their investigation, Pedro left the apartment around 2:00 p.m. and returned at 5:22 p.m., exactly when he called Samantha's mother. Isabel wonders:
"What did Pedro do from 5:00 to 5:27 p.m. (time of death)? Was he perhaps enjoying watching my daughter suffer?" he questions.
Isabel specified that her daughter was found alongside several medication vials.
However, when she returned two hours later to the apartment to fetch clothes to dress Samantha, those bulbs were gone.
"According to neighbors (who I wish to keep anonymous), some time after I left with my daughter's body, they saw a boy leaving with a wrapped package," the woman adds.
Irregularities in the investigation
From the beginning, Isabel faced negligence and obstacles in the judicial process. She hired a lawyer, but had to dismiss their services because "they never had time to go to Operations to inquire about the case."
He assures that the authorities' responses were always evasive.
"I went to Operations almost 10 times asking about it, and the answers were always the same: 'we don't have it.' We only saw the case instructor once; his superior always attended to us," he laments.
One of the most alarming points is the report of the disappearance of key evidence.
"Thirty-seven days after my daughter's death, I was informed that the investigations revealed that the fingerprints on the syringe and the bulb belonged to my daughter. However, the expert who handled the case made it clear that it was difficult to obtain fingerprints because they were distilled in water, soaked."
The mother insisted on knowing the batch of the medication that caused her daughter's death, as this would allow for tracing its origin.
However, the expert did not include that information in her report, and when Isabel pressed for it, she was told that the bulb had been "lost" in the hospital.
"The evidence of a homicide was lost. They knew that if that information surfaced, there would be a chain of those involved," asserts the victim's mother.
An overlooked key witness
Another alarming aspect of the case was the statement from a witness who claimed that Pedro Carmenaty's father mentioned at his workplace that his son had killed his wife with an injection and that he had another one prepared to commit suicide.
"I brought a witness to Operations who stated that Pedro's father asked the boss for permission to leave work because his son had just killed his wife with an injection. What happened to that statement? Nothing,” Isabel asserts.
Three days after the murder, Pedro Manuel Carmenaty was released "under investigation," and his father attempted to retract his initial statements.
As the investigations progressed, Isabel discovered that the official reports had been tampered with.
"Provincial Citizenship concluded that 'it was not a bulb, but a fragment of glass.' They changed the content of the report," she asserts.
Unanswered complaints
Desperate, the victim's mother filed complaints with various institutions, without receiving any concrete response
April 14, 2024: She filed a complaint with the First Secretary of the PCC, Beatriz Jhonson Urrutia. She never received a response.
April 15, 2024: Filed another complaint with the Provincial Directorate of Public Health, but "they washed their hands of it."
April 17, 2024: She submitted her complaint to the Federation of Cuban Women, but to no avail.
The Provincial Attorney General argued that "they did not have any evidence," which Isabel questions, as "everything had mysteriously disappeared."
Six months later, the case was closed, leaving Samantha's mother without answers.
"I am aware that nothing will bring her back to me, but I ask for justice and clear answers," he concludes.
Isabel continues to fight for her daughter's alleged femicide not to go unpunished.
Frequently Asked Questions about the case of young nurse Samantha Heredia
What happened to Samantha Heredia?
Samantha Heredia, a young Cuban nurse, passed away under strange circumstances after receiving an injection. Her case was initially reported as a suspected femicide, but was later classified as a suicide, leading to controversy and outrage among her family, especially her mother, who raises concerns about inconsistencies in the official investigation.
Why does Samantha Heredia's mother seek justice?
The mother of Samantha, known as Isabel, denounces negligence and irregularities in the investigation of her daughter's death. She claims that key evidence has disappeared, such as the vial of the medication that caused the death, and that the authorities have been evasive in providing clear answers about the case.
What irregularities have been reported in the investigation into the death of Samantha Heredia?
Multiple irregularities have been highlighted in the investigation of the Samantha Heredia case. Her mother mentions the disappearance of evidence, such as the medication vial, and the lack of clear fingerprints on related objects. Additionally, there are criticisms regarding the handling of information by the authorities, who have not provided satisfactory answers.
What has been the response of the Cuban authorities regarding the case of Samantha Heredia?
Cuban authorities, according to Samantha's mother, have given evasive responses and have not provided sufficient evidence to clarify her daughter's death. Isabel has filed complaints with several institutions without receiving concrete answers, which has led to discontent and outrage among those affected.
What is the connection between the case of Samantha Heredia and other incidents of violence in Cuba?
The case of Samantha Heredia is set against a backdrop of increasing violence and femicides in Cuba, where reports of negligence and irregularities in investigations are common. The absence of an effective system to address these cases and protect victims of gender violence is a persistent issue in the country.
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