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The anguish of Cuban families over the disappearance of loved ones continues to grow in a country where, in the absence of effective official protocols, it is the citizens themselves who must mobilize to seek help.
In the Facebook group "Missing Persons in Cuba," Dewar Hechavarría Navarro posted a desperate message about his father, whose trail went cold on August 25th.
According to reports, the last known information about him is that he headed towards Santa Clara or Camagüey, but since then his mobile phone has been switched off.
"I don't know what else to do. Please, anyone who knows anything about his whereabouts, call this number 52168288. You can call me from a landline, I am his son," he wrote.
Dewar Hechavarría, who according to his Facebook profile is from San Luis, Santiago de Cuba, omitted important details, such as his father's name or his place of residence.
The publication adds to a series of recent cases that highlight the fragility of search and response mechanisms on the Island.
Just last week, the disappearance of Eutiquio Pérez Chain, a 79-year-old man with memory issues was reported after he left his home in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, and did not return.
A similar case shook Ciénaga de Zapata, Matanzas, when the family of Laureano Mesa Cepero (Ñoña), aged 91 and suffering from Alzheimer's, diabetes, and hypertension, alerted on the Internet that he had been missing for several days after leaving his home in Cayo Ramona.
The alarm was heightened because the man had run out of medication and food, which put his life at risk.
These episodes reveal a pattern: the absence of an official early warning system that enables quick identification of vulnerable individuals.
Instead of having effective state protocols, it is families, neighbors, and communities that must organize impromptu searches and spread calls in WhatsApp and Facebook groups.
The lack of coordination among government institutions and security forces creates a growing distrust in the state's ability to protect its citizens.
The institutional void forces families to confront uncertainty alone, relying solely on civic solidarity.
Specialists point out that the slow response from officials and the lack of technological tools adapted to the current reality exacerbate the risks, especially for the elderly with chronic illnesses or cognitive decline.
Far from being isolated incidents, the disappearances of elderly individuals have become a recurring problem that demands urgent public policies.
Cuba needs to implement modern location systems, effective search protocols, and immediate alert channels to prevent the anguish of so many families from being reduced to a post on social media.
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