A new report exposes, once again, the institutional neglect experienced by entire communities in Santiago de Cuba.
This time, the voice that breaks the silence is that of a mother from the Antonio Maceo neighborhood, who desperately reached out to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada to warn about the danger that students at the Julio Trigo López semi-institutional school face daily.
"I turn to you seeking support, because I no longer know who else to turn to," the woman wrote, describing a situation that the neighbors have been enduring for months.
The only access road to the school has turned into a foul swamp, filled with potholes, mud, stagnant water, and such severe deterioration that walking through it poses a health and physical risk to the children.
The mother shared a video that Mayeta posted on Facebook.
The images—reflecting a situation that is repeated in other neighborhoods of the province—show permanent puddles, impassable ground, and visible signs of state neglect.
To make matters worse, the sidewalk is filled with trash and dry vegetation, forcing children to walk in the street.
All of this is occurring amidst an increase in diseases and epidemics affecting Santiago de Cuba, where the health system itself admits to being overwhelmed.
Questions the government does not answer
As the journalist emphasizes, families feel deceived by such official contradictions: If the state acknowledges the epidemiological outbreaks, how can it allow children to enter classes via a route resembling a disaster zone?
"How is it possible that access to a primary school is in these conditions? Who is accountable for these risks? Why does this situation remain unchanged despite the community's complaints?" Mayeta questions.
The situation worsens because, when the mother tried to express her concern directly at the school, she could not even find out if the principal would be there that day. The absence of a responsible authority left the parents without any concrete entity to address their concerns.
It is the perfect portrait of institutional functioning in Cuba: no one answers, no one takes responsibility, no one solves anything. The community reports issues, but the State looks the other way.
The demand is urgent: young children are forced to walk every morning through an unhealthy area, where they could slip, get sick, or suffer accidents.
It is an elementary right: that minors can reach their school safely, something that the government neither guarantees nor seems to consider a priority.
They demand an immediate solution
Mayeta amplified the call of this mother and dozens of families who do not dare to report, but who suffer the same situation.
They demand real answers, not empty slogans or unfulfilled promises. They call for action from the authorities, who continue to remain silent while children suffer the consequences of state negligence.
"The children cannot continue to bear the consequences of the negligence of those who should protect them," concluded the journalist.
A phrase that painfully encapsulates the reality faced by thousands of Cuban families: a country where the State demands loyalty but fails to provide the minimum necessary to ensure dignity and security for its own citizens.
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