On the first anniversary of the death of the Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar, known as El Taiger, the boxer Yordenis Ugás shared an emotional video testimony about how he experienced those days following the tragic event.
“Hey, how are you? Hey family, last year marked a year since what happened to Taiger, right?” Ugás begins in a reel posted on his official Facebook account, where he reflects on the emotional impact the shooting that took the artist's life had on him.
"I don't know who else experienced that, but during those days, I was in a panic; I was checking the guns," confessed the former world boxing champion, who also revealed that he was starting a romantic relationship at that time. "So I was beginning to date my girlfriend... I talked to her about it, and she started checking the guns and so on, and she was saying, 'the gangs,' no, no, something crazy."
In the video, he is accompanied by his partner, whom he identifies as a witness to that process. “I said, I’m going to make the video with her because she is the witness; otherwise, people might say, ‘Ugás is making up a story.’ She experienced it because we were just starting out.”
"I don’t know who else, if anyone else has gone through something like this, if anyone else felt... especially the guys on the street," he concluded, before wishing his followers a good weekend.
Ugás's words come shortly before the tribute that will be held today, October 10, at the Colon Cemetery in Havana, where family, friends, and fans of El Taiger are expected to gather to pay homage to the artist, who passed away exactly one year ago after being shot in the head.
The initiative has been promoted by Teresa Padrón, the singer's former manager, under the message: "Honoring the memory of José Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar – El Taiger. A year later, we continue to remember your legacy, your music, and your essence that never fades."
Yordenis Ugás was also one of the Cuban public figures who reacted to the news of the fatal attack on the artist in October 2024. At that time, he expressed on his Facebook profile: “One thing is to have differences in opinion, thought, and behavior, and another is to be in a hospital bed fighting for his life.”
After the reggaeton artist's death was confirmed, Ugás wrote a heartfelt farewell message on Instagram: “Rest in peace, champion”, and added: “I think you could never overcome the death of your parents, and now fly, fly and reunite with them and be happy again.”
"Even though you were murdered (now we need to catch the culprit), I believe you are leaving on your own terms," he also wrote, reminiscing about shared moments with El Taiger, such as a birthday when his son sang alongside him.
"You leave many fans who will always remember you. Rest in peace, José Manuel Carbajal," the boxer concluded.
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