The funeral service scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was disrupted by a breakdown in the hearse that was supposed to transport the body, which forced it to be hitched and towed through the streets of the town well into the night.
In the video shared by journalist Mario J. Pentón on his social media, it's evident how the hearse (apparently a Soviet-made Volga) had to be pulled by a classic red vehicle, known in Cuba as "almendrón," using ropes and chains, much to the disbelief and indignation of neighbors and mourners.
The scene, unusual and painful, added an extra layer of suffering for the family and loved ones, who witnessed how the funeral became a mechanical odyssey rather than a moment of reflection.
Delays and complaints: Corpses held in homes
Separately but on the same day, a post on social media reported the delay in the arrival of a hearse at the home where the lifeless body of an elderly man lay for hours.
The user identified as Yaneisi Rojas stated that her uncle's body remained all day on the bed where he passed away because neither the hearse nor the casket was available.
The grieving person pointed out that there were no transfers from morning until night, and that the delay caused frustration due to the helplessness of a family that was awaiting a minimal institutional response.
This case is in addition to the one reported this Tuesday in Holguín, where a family in the Reparto Luz waited more than 15 hours for the body of a deceased elderly woman to be collected.
In response to the lack of institutional response, the relatives decided to take the body out of the house and place it on a bed at the threshold, while neighbors and family members protested in the street and blocked traffic.
The images shared on social media showed scenes of pain and outrage, with cries against local authorities and reports of institutional neglect.
The case, which sparked a wave of criticism on digital platforms, became a symbol of the funeral crisis in the country, where delays in the retrieval of bodies, a shortage of coffins, and a lack of transportation turn death into a process marked by humiliation and helplessness.
Structural crisis in Cuban funeral services
With painful frequency, reports on social media reveal that the cases highlighted are not isolated incidents, but rather manifestations of a structural crisis.
In provinces like Ciego de Ávila, only eight of the 19 existing funeral vehicles are operational, which necessitates coordinating transfers from remote municipalities. In Villa Clara, the shortage of coffins and the poor quality of those provided also delay burials.
In June 2024, the funeral home in Santiago de Cuba opened with more than 29 bodies being mourned, with coffins placed in hallways due to a lack of space and adequate infrastructure.
In more comprehensive reports, the official press has acknowledged that funeral wakes are turning into “obstacle courses” due to the lack of fuel, vehicles, maintenance, and basic resources such as lighting, cleaning, or ventilation in the funeral chapels.
In light of this situation, the government has announced actions such as the implementation of electric hearses in certain municipalities, as well as the local assembly of electric units, with the participation of the Military Industries Union.
However, these measures seem more like palliatives than actual solutions, as they do not address the widespread issues of deterioration, lack of supplies, and the limited capacity of the state to keep necrological services operational throughout the country.
The reality that Cubans face today is that saying goodbye to a loved one can turn into a bureaucratic, technical, and logistical struggle. The tragedy is not only the death itself but the added humiliation: dying is no longer a guaranteed right with dignity.
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