The man who moved the world when he was photographed wading in chest-deep water while holding a television during Hurricane Melissa has been identified as Duany Despaine, known to the neighbors as "Minguito."
After days of rumors and misinformation regarding his supposed death, friends and acquaintances have confirmed that he is still alive, although he has lost his home and all of his belongings.
The news was disclosed by Olia Muguercia, a resident of Santiago de Cuba, who published several messages on Facebook to refute the false information circulating on social media.
"This photo is circulating on social media. This man is named Duany Despaine, better known as Minguito. He lives in Santiago de Cuba, and the photo was taken on the road by the Refinery. Please share this post: he is alive, so that people will not believe posts claiming that he was given a house and has died," he clarified.
In a second post, Muguercia added:
"Here is Minguito, the man from TV, the viral photo on social media. Thank God he is okay. He doesn't have a phone; he lost everything. His house is filled with water. You can message me privately or contact my number, and I will pass along all the information," he detailed.
The woman insisted that the man "is alive, but in very difficult conditions," and she asked for support to help him regain the essentials.
Disinformation and desperation amid disaster
Minguito's case went viral in a matter of hours.
Shortly after it was released, false rumors began to circulate claiming that the protagonist had died of a heart attack, unable to bear the loss of all his possessions.
"It was a vile lie," denounced activist Lara Crofs, who lamented that "people who announce deaths for likes without conscience" took advantage of the tragedy.
However, misinformation does not arise in a vacuum. In a country where the government controls information and the official media barely report on the suffering of the population, social media has become the only channel to learn about what is truly happening in the affected areas.
A symbol of the Cuban tragedy
The photograph of Minguito, taken on the road to the Refinery in Santiago de Cuba, went around the world.
Actor Andy Vázquez posted a message on social media to offer his assistance: "If anyone knows him, please pass along my phone number (239-470-8181)."
Thousands of users shared the image and expressed their solidarity with the protagonist, recognizing in him a living representation of scarcity and the daily struggle in Cuba.
"What sadness to lose your belongings and know that you won't be able to recover them. In Cuba, a television is a luxury, something that takes years to obtain," wrote a user.
The television that Minguito was trying to save—a vintage analog device—is not just an object; it is a symbol of what little remains to be protected in a country where misery has replaced hope.
Official silence and abandonment
As the photo circulated and became an emblem of the catastrophe, the Cuban state media remained silent, focusing their coverage on the government's "recovery efforts" and avoiding any portrayal of the true extent of the disaster.
No authority has mentioned Minguito or publicly acknowledged the extreme conditions in which thousands of families were left after the hurricane.
In Santiago de Cuba, Hurricane Melissa swept through entire neighborhoods, causing widespread flooding, landslides, and power outages. The San Juan and Cauto rivers overflowed, leaving entire communities underwater.
Numerous testimonies on social media report families trapped on the roofs of their homes, without food, waiting for delayed state assistance, while local authorities merely repeat calls to "stay calm and trust in the institutions."
A country drowned in poverty and propaganda
Minguito's case is not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of the silent struggle that thousands of Cubans in the eastern part of the country are enduring, where the devastation caused by the hurricane adds to years of neglect, economic crisis, and chronic shortages.
While the leaders insist on blaming the embargo for the lack of resources, the people are left facing the consequences of the country's structural collapse: dilapidated houses, dams at risk, streets turned into rivers, and an infrastructure unable to withstand it.
The image of the man holding his television above the waters not only moved the world but also revealed the fragility of a nation where survival has become a heroic act.
And although Minguito is alive, his story—like that of so many others—reveals a truth that the regime tries to hide: Cuba remains submerged, not only beneath the waters of the hurricane but under the waves of its own misery.
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