“Dad, I know you are watching me from that vast and distant sky... I love you, Dad.” With these words, a young Cuban bid farewell to his father, Giovani Gómez Basulto, known as “el Chino,” who died after enlisting in the Russian army to fight in the war in Ukraine.
The message, filled with pain and tenderness, reveals the emptiness that war leaves in Cuban families who never imagined they would bid farewell to their loved ones on such a distant front.
“Hopefully one day I can become the man you were… I miss you, my old man,” the boy wrote in a post accompanied by a video with photos of his father in military uniform.
Gómez Basulto, like other compatriots, joined the Russian ranks lured by promises of high salaries and immigration benefits. In the trenches, however, he found death and left behind a son who now remembers him as “his guardian angel.”
Sources close to the family confirmed to CiberCuba that Giovani was among the Cubans who traveled to Russia to enlist as contracted soldiers, a phenomenon that has gained significant momentum since 2023.
Young people deceived and desperate families
The tragedy of this family adds to that of dozens of Cubans who have reported being recruited under false pretenses. In August 2023, the teenagers Alex Rolando Vega Díaz and Andorf Antonio Velázquez García, both 19 years old, recorded a video from a Russian military base claiming that they were taken under false promises of construction jobs and ended up in the Ukrainian trenches.
“Everything has been a scam. We have no documents, we have not been paid. We are afraid,” they confessed, revealing torture and abuse. Their testimonies broke the silence and exposed a pattern that Ukrainian intelligence leaks would later confirm, revealing that there are more than 1,000 Cubans identified as mercenaries, some of whom are under 20 years old and others over 50.
Families like that of Michael Duro, who has been searching for his brother missing in the war for a year, describe a devastating scenario, in which the whereabouts of more than 600 Cubans are unknown, many of whom are trapped in a limbo between life and death.
The silence and contradictions of the Cuban government
Despite the magnitude of the drama, the regime in Havana has responded with ambiguity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied links to the dispatch of citizens to the war, although it acknowledged the existence of recruitment networks.
The Deputy Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío insisted that it was about “networks in Europe” and stated that Cuba has already “denounced” the phenomenon.
However, investigative journalism and statements from Russian officials reveal that many Cubans traveled directly from the island, signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, and were sent to the front lines. “There were only Cubans and Serbians there”, a military man confessed to Moscow Times.
Meanwhile, Cuban mothers plead for news, brothers write letters to foreign governments, and children, like Giovani Gómez Basulto's, mourn on social media the loss of those who left seeking a way out of the island's crisis and ended up as cannon fodder in a foreign war.
Between misery and war
The case of "el Chino" reflects the struggle of a generation caught between poverty in Cuba and the promise of a salary in Russia. With no future on the island and no options for legal emigration, many accept contracts they do not understand, written in Russian, and end up facing the horrors of war.
For his son, who now remembers him with tears and words of love, the cost is irreparable: “Never forget me, dad, because the world may forget you, but your son will never do so for the rest of his life.”
Frequently asked questions about the recruitment of Cubans for the war in Ukraine
Why are Cubans being recruited for the war in Ukraine?
The recruitment of Cubans for the war in Ukraine has increased due to deceptive promises of high salaries and immigration benefits. Many Cubans have been drawn in by the promise of well-paying jobs in Russia, only to find out that they have been recruited to fight in the armed conflict. This phenomenon has been facilitated by the economic crisis in Cuba, which leaves many with no viable options for livelihood.
How has the Cuban government responded to the recruitment of its citizens?
The Cuban government has maintained an ambiguous stance, denying any direct responsibility for the recruitment of its citizens. The regime has claimed that these are recruitment networks in Europe and has asserted that its laws prohibit participation in foreign conflicts. However, evidence suggests that there has been a lack of clear and effective action to halt this phenomenon, which has sparked criticism both inside and outside the island.
What role does Russia play in the recruitment of Cubans for the war?
Russia has been actively recruiting Cuban citizens as part of its strategy to bolster its troops in the war against Ukraine. This recruitment occurs through promises of employment and benefits that often turn out to be misleading. Furthermore, there are indications that the Russian government has held discussions with Cuban authorities regarding the presence of Cubans in its military, suggesting a certain complicity or at least awareness of the situation.
What consequences has this recruitment had for Cuban families?
The recruitment of Cubans for the war in Ukraine has left many families in Cuba in a state of desperation and anguish. With more than 600 Cubans missing and others deceased in the conflict, families are facing uncertainty about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Many report being misled and a lack of response from both Cuban and Russian authorities, which exacerbates their pain and feelings of helplessness.
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