Government denies the death of a newborn following allegations of manipulation of infant mortality figures

The Cuban regime responded this Sunday to a complaint posted on social media by exiled doctor Alexander Jesús Figueredo Izaguirre, who shared the testimony of Dr. Anabel Obregón regarding an alleged case of institutional pressure to let a newborn die at the hospital in Placetas, Villa Clara, in order to prevent it from being counted as an infant death in official statistics.

The accusation had a strong impact on social media, as it indicated that the doctor had been reprimanded for performing an emergency cesarean section that saved a baby's life, and that during a meeting with health authorities they allegedly told her: “That baby should have died in the womb. If it dies now, it will count as infant mortality. Ask for it to live for more than a year, because if not, you're going to have a political problem.”

This Sunday, the provincial director of Health in Villa Clara, Juan José Pulido López, publicly denied the story through a post on Facebook, calling the testimony “utterly false” and “a crude media manipulation.”

According to Pulido, Dr. Obregón "stopped practicing medicine in Cuba in December 2013 and has been living in the United States for more than eleven years," which he believes makes "it impossible for the events described to be true."

However, the fact that the doctor does not currently reside in Cuba does not necessarily invalidate the possibility that the episode occurred before her departure from the country, as part of her professional experience within the Cuban healthcare system.

Furthermore, the official denial does not provide documented evidence that the event never happened, but instead focuses solely on discrediting the testimony based on the professional's residency date.

On the other hand, Pulido himself directs part of his attack against Figueredo, suggesting that he does not live in Cuba and therefore cannot speak authoritatively about what happens in the national system. This is a common strategy of the regime to discredit criticisms from exile, without thoroughly investigating the substantive allegations.

The initial report pointed to a pattern of institutional pressure to manipulate infant mortality figures, a sensitive issue in Cuba due to the propaganda value that the regime assigns to these indicators as “achievements” of the socialist system.

However, the most significant aspect of this controversy on social media was not only the weak official denial but also that Dr. Figueredo's complaint prompted numerous internet users to voice their opinions on the matter and even share similar experiences and new allegations.

The harrowing testimony of Frank Alemán, who claims to have experienced a similar episode while studying in Cuba in 1991, adds a historical dimension to the current accusations.

According to his account, he witnessed how a newborn was deliberately left in critical conditions, naked on a metal tray under the air conditioning, and how he was persuaded that the baby's movements were mere post-mortem reflexes.

He protested, was removed from the guard for being "agitated," and months later was expelled.

According to his testimony, babies at risk of neonatal death were declared dead before birth to comply with the statistics imposed by Fidel Castro, which aimed to present the world with an artificially low infant mortality rate.

"To this day, I have nightmares about that baby," she confessed.

These accounts were supplemented by the testimony of Dayamis Orizondo Ortega, who stated in a social media comment that she witnessed a similar situation while studying at the gynecology and obstetrics department in Santa Clara.

According to the account, extremely depressed babies were left "in a little corner in the cold," and then the mothers were informed that they had been stillborn, so that they wouldn't count as infant deaths, but rather as late fetal deaths. "All for the sake of statistics and to sell false infant mortality rates," he wrote.

In a second comment, he recalled that at that moment he did not understand what was happening: he was in his second year of college and observed everything through a glass.

"I didn't open my mouth to ask... later, over time, someone explained to me what really happened. I remember I had to go and discuss it even with the priest of my parish because it wouldn't let me live," he confessed, revealing the emotional burden he still carries.

Another testimony added to this series of complaints comes from Javier V. Hernández, a Cuban nurse with training in gyneco-obstetrics and currently residing in Spain. In a comment on social media, he stated that he personally witnessed similar situations during his time working in delivery rooms in Cuba.

She reported that the work of experienced obstetricians was often judged and influenced by the pressure to maintain favorable "statistics," and that performing a cesarean section deemed "unjustified" was seen as a crime, even in cases of evident fetal distress or complications like cord entanglement. "I saw it; no one told me," she stated.

He also pointed out that with the scarcity of resources and specialized staff, such as anesthesiologists and obstetricians, it became more common to prioritize statistics over actual care: “In Cuba, statistics speak more than reality,” he concluded.

The experience of Iriannis F. Velázquez, who stopped practicing medicine three years ago, adds to the chorus of voices that denounce the institutional pressure on health professionals.

"Whenever it happens the same way, the outcome is always the same: in the end, the doctor is to blame for everything," she wrote. According to her, despite the time that has passed, she still carries the pain of having worked in a system that, instead of prioritizing life, subordinates clinical decisions to rigid protocols designed to sustain manipulated statistics.

"Every time I hear something like this, I wonder how it's possible that some meaningless statistics are more important than saving human lives," he lamented. His testimony reflects the tension between medical ethics and state bureaucracy, which shapes professional actions even in the most sensitive cases.

The testimony of Gigi Regueira, who worked in a polyclinic in Cuba, provides a direct perspective on how official figures are managed within the system.

According to the account, during the crisis of epidemic neuropathy cases in the country, the statistics workers kept a manual record until one day they received the order to stop recording cases under that diagnosis. "If a case came in, they were told to categorize it as something else."

That moment, he recounts, was revealing: “There I understood the lie of statistics in Cuba, that it was all a facade.” His experience reinforces the idea that the deliberate alteration of public health data is part of an institutionalized practice aimed at maintaining an image that does not align with reality.

The words of Omi Saide Elida Murga Quiroz reveal the devastating impact of these practices not only on a professional level but also on a personal one.

A clinic nurse recounted that she experienced the loss of her baby at 29 weeks and one day of gestation. During the discussion of deceased cases in the area, her case was mentioned, and to her surprise, the head of the Maternal and Child Program determined that it should not be discussed, arguing that it was a baby who "came with problems" and that the mother had already expressed her desire not to be a CVP (case under prolonged supervision).

"You can imagine what I stirred up," she wrote, clarifying that the pregnancy was completely planned and desired. Her experience highlights how the system can not only minimize the pain of others but also invalidate facts when they do not fit into the statistical narrative that is intended to be upheld.

The case of Maire Valdivia adds a more recent dimension to the reported pattern. She recounted that her daughter, who will soon turn six years old, was born with severe IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), but despite the signs of fetal distress—including heart decelerations—she was forced to give birth.

The gynecologist who decided to perform an emergency cesarean section was later questioned about his actions. "He now lives in Angola," Maire wrote, referring to the personal cost that many professionals must pay for prioritizing life over compliance with statistical protocols or bureaucratic decisions.

His testimony reflects how institutional pressures not only affect patients but also push those who choose to act with medical ethics into exile.

The situation of infant mortality in Cuba, particularly in Villa Clara, has become an increasing concern in recent times. Various reports indicate a rise in cases associated not only with medical causes but also with structural deficiencies and institutional negligence.

In the midst of this reality, authorities from the Ministry of Public Health reported that the infant mortality rate in 2024 stands at 7.4 per thousand live births, a figure that continues to show an upward trend compared to previous years and that nearly doubles the levels recorded in the last decade.

At the same time, births have plummeted dramatically, exacerbating the demographic crisis. Between January and July 2024, there were over 8,000 fewer births compared to the same period the previous year, reflecting an environment where socioeconomic conditions, limited access to basic services, and a lack of confidence in the healthcare system discourage many families from expanding their households.

According to official data, birth rates have fallen to their lowest point in 60 years, revealing an alarming demographic and social landscape.

Concern is mounting in provinces like Villa Clara, where independent media and citizen testimonies have reported an increase in neonatal deaths. Although the regime has attempted to discredit these reports, the data and testimonies suggest the existence of a broader pattern.

Previous cases, such as that of the Diez de Octubre hospital in Havana, where ten newborns died in early 2023 due to poor hospital management, continue to resonate as symbols of a healthcare system in crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions about Reports of Manipulation of Infant Mortality Data in Cuba