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The family of Abel Paneque Pérez, a 17-year-old young man, is going through hours of anguish and desperation following his disappearance during a trip to Sancti Spíritus.
Abel left his home in Guisa on Tuesday, with a confirmed ticket on the bus that covers the Santiago de Cuba–Cienfuegos route, with a final destination in Sancti Spíritus, but he never arrived at his destination and has been unaccounted for since then.
The family, distressed, has made a call to the public for help in locating him and requests that any information, no matter how minimal, be communicated immediately to the phone numbers 58584103 or 51603518.
"Help by sharing. Every minute counts," wrote her cousin Kenia Pérez in the group Facebook "Revolico Cabaiguan 2025 sales and purchases."
The community has joined in spreading the information, with numerous posts in other Facebook groups where the information was shared along with photos of the teenager.
Several internet users suggested interviewing the bus drivers that Abel traveled with in case they can provide any information.
"The driver must know where they stopped because they control that; at each terminal, they check if all the passengers are present before continuing the journey. Additionally, the person sitting next to him should also be aware," said a resident of Santiago.
Others commented that perhaps the boy got off the bus momentarily and wandered away.
Some users mistakenly claimed that he had been located, confusing the case with that of a young recruit who was reported missing after leaving for his military unit in Holguín, and who was found safe and sound several days later.
Kenia Pérez clarified the confusion and confirmed that her cousin Abel is still missing.
A disappearance that intensifies social concern
Abel's case adds to a growing series of incidents in which families must take on the role of tracking and communication, highlighting the fragility of official systems for handling disappearance emergencies.
In many disappearances, those affected report a lack of an effective state mechanism for the search of the missing.
Although the police have the responsibility to act, in practice, the processes are slow and inefficient, forcing those who are searching to resort to social media as a last resort for civil society to assist in locating their loved ones.
His family insists that any detail that could help locate him is vital, and they request that the information be shared widely to increase the chances of finding him.
The community continues to mobilize on social media, hoping that the solidarity of citizens will achieve what the official institutions have not been able to: finding the 17-year-old boy before more critical hours pass.
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