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The sudden death of the young Cuban Isiel Díaz Vera has caused deep shock among all the residents of the town of Punta Alegre where he was born, in the Avileño municipality of Chambas.
The news started circulating online through multiple posts by residents of Ciego de Ávila, a province that has been hit in recent weeks by a serious surge in viral illnesses and respiratory complications, amidst the deterioration of the Cuban healthcare system.
Hundreds of people mourned the death of the young man, an employee of the Meliá Costa Rey hotel in Cayo Coco.
The shared images depict a strong, happy, and healthy-looking young man whose loss has shaken his entire community.
"It breaks my heart to know that you are gone."
The Avilanian Yuniel Pérez was one of the first to bring the incident to light.
In a farewell message on Facebook that reflects the emotional impact of the news, he wrote: "Waking up to receive this sad news tears my soul apart. Today the sky took away a great angel. You left without saying goodbye, without bidding farewell."
In the comments section, Pérez himself confirmed that Isiel "passed away from the virus."
Other users specified that the young man "complicated things with pneumonia," that he was "very unwell," and that ultimately he did not survive.
Collective sorrow and suspension of activities in Punta Alegre
Isiel's death occurred last Thursday, and according to a family friend, he was admitted to the Morón Hospital.
Following the emotional impact on the community, the suspension of the traditional local festivities was announced.
"This was a very strong shock for everyone, and there is no desire to do anything," reported the user Yuliet Gf on Facebook.
The decision was supported by neighbors who confirmed that the pain is too great to celebrate parties and that mourning must be respected throughout the community.
"It's a lovely way to pay tribute to our beloved and unmatched Isie," "The celebration is community, and we must respect the mourning for a partygoer," and "Isiel deserves all the respect of our people, as do his parents," were some of the opinions expressed.
Epidemiological crisis recognized by the government itself
The death of this young man from Avila occurs in an extremely delicate health context.
Cuba is experiencing an active epidemic of chikungunya and dengue, a situation that the Ministry of Public Health has had to publicly acknowledge.
More than a hundred people are in intensive care due to complications related to these diseases, the majority of whom are under 18 years old.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Carilda Peña García, acknowledged that there are no exact data on the number of infections because PCR tests are only conducted in selected cases. In the majority of patients, the diagnosis is strictly clinical.
The authorities also admitted that the fumigation plan and focal control were not implemented, making it difficult to stop the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
According to Peña, the country lacks fuel, insecticides, and equipment to carry out mass campaigns like those conducted in previous years. Many of the available machines have been in operation for decades and barely function, limiting the effectiveness of any vector control action.
As a result, the spraying is limited only to specific blocks where transmission is already occurring, leaving the rest of the population exposed.
A collapsed healthcare system unable to contain the emergency
The health crisis is progressing alongside the general decline of hospitals, a lack of medications, minimal resources, and a shortage of staff.
Under these conditions, complications such as pneumonia or viral infections that could be treated in time become serious threats to thousands of Cubans.
In this situation, deaths like that of Isiel Díaz Vera—a young worker, seemingly healthy, active, and well-loved in his community—hit harder on a population living in uncertainty and vulnerability, while the State persists in blaming citizens for the proliferation of the mosquito, without providing the necessary resources to tackle the epidemic.
In Punta Alegre and throughout Ciego de Ávila, the distress over this loss is compounded by the growing fear of an epidemiological crisis that continues to advance unchecked and without resources to stop it.
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