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Nelson Thiago García Lugones, a boy of just five years old, was found dead early on Tuesday after being reported missing a few hours earlier in the town of El Chumbo, in the municipality of Alquízar, Artemisa province.
His body was found inside a well near his home, despite the desperate search efforts by family members, neighbors, and rescuers.
The case has caused a deep shock in the community and on social media, where hundreds of people have expressed their grief and called for the circumstances of the tragedy to be clarified.
A disappearance that mobilized an entire community
Thiago was last seen on Monday afternoon when—according to testimonies from neighbors shared on social media—he went out to play near his home, between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.
However, he never returned. His absence was quickly noticed by his family, who, along with the neighbors, began an intense search throughout the area.
"The town is shattered; we all knew him, he was a cheerful child," wrote a resident in a community Facebook group.
Social media quickly filled with images of the child and urgent calls for help under the slogan "every minute counts."
The discovery in a nearby well
After 1:00 a.m., following hours of distressing searching, the child's body was found in a well.
“I regret to inform that the 5-year-old boy Thiago, who had been missing, was found lifeless inside a well. The firefighters arrived at the scene and managed to rescue him, but unfortunately, he showed no signs of life”, wrote journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, one of the first to break the news.
The rescue was carried out by firefighters who, according to witnesses, attempted to revive him without success.
"The firefighters attempted to revive him unsuccessfully. There are no words that can describe the pain felt or how to provide comfort to that mother, to her aunt who pleaded for help in desperation," expressed another user on social media.
The impact on those close to the minor has been devastating. "The pain of his departure is immeasurable, and our solidarity and deepest condolences go out to his family in this incredibly difficult time," wrote Leandro Peña Gutiérrez, reflecting the general sentiment.
A testimony that raises questions: Accident or something more?
Some voices within the community have begun to question whether it was really an accident.
The user Jessica Barnet Hernández, originally from Alquízar, shared a testimony that has raised suspicions about the location where the child's body was found:
In the afternoon, around 3 or 4, Thiago, who was 6 years old, went out to play soccer, but he never got to play. His entire family and the neighbors went out looking for the boy, and he was found in a well at 1:45 in the morning with no vital signs; he had already passed away
Jessica described the well as a structure about 30 meters deep, covered in weeds and covered with a sheet of zinc.
"The boy did not reach [the edge of the well] and was surrounded by grass and had zinc on top of him. When the firefighters pulled the boy out, he was no longer wearing any shoes," she wrote.
He closed his post with a plea that has stirred concern: “Let’s hope they do justice for the boy Thiago.”
His statement has sparked debates and calls for a thorough investigation.
Ongoing investigation and conflicting accounts
Amid the speculation circulating on social media regarding possible arrests linked to the case, journalist José Luis Tan Estrada reached out directly to residents in the area to confirm the actual situation on the ground.
"No, brother, that's false; the police were here early investigating, but they've already left. There are no arrests, they only interviewed some neighbors, but the truth will come to light," affirmed a local resident.
Many in El Chumbo agree that there are aspects that are difficult to explain.
“It's very difficult for such a small child to have fallen in there alone. Besides, he wasn't a child with problems or anything; he was normal,” commented another community member, referring to the secluded and hidden nature of the well.
However, other versions contradict this perception.
The activist Idelisa Diasniurka Salcedo publicly stated that a person had been detained and that the incident occurred in the vicinity of the funeral home, although she did not provide further details.
For now, local authorities are keeping the investigation open, and an official report is expected to be released in the coming days to shed light on a tragedy that has plunged an entire community into mourning.
The death of Thiago adds to another recent tragedy: last Saturday, a 14-year-old teenager was found dead in a pool at the Sports City in the Havana municipality of Cerro, after having disappeared the day before.
Both cases have caused national consternation and have reignited the debate on child protection in Cuba and the need for transparent investigations into the deaths of minors in unclear circumstances.
UPDATE:
The local outlet confirmed that the body of the six-year-old boy, who lived on the "El recurso" farm, was found in a well after reports of his disappearance.
The minor was playing with friends in that area, and due to the delay in returning home, their loved ones expressed concern.
According to the Provincial Headquarters of MININT, the search conducted by family members, neighbors, municipal authorities, and forces from the agency helped locate the body.
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