Two of the three children involved in the alleged child abuse case that shocked Cienfuegos were hospitalized with a high fever, according to the profile officialista Las Cosas de Fernanda, which has provided several updates on the case.
The minors remain hospitalized in the pediatric hospital of the province, in the respiratory ward, under medical supervision and accompanied by specialized staff, reported the regime's spokesperson on their Facebook profile.
One of the children, three years old, developed a high fever during his stay at a temporary educational center where he had been moved along with his siblings following the authorities' intervention.
Shortly after, the second child, who is five years old, developed similar symptoms and was also referred to the hospital. Both are stable and receiving constant medical care.
The third minor remains under institutional care at an educational center, with ongoing monitoring by social workers.
The interdisciplinary committee in charge of the case decided to maintain state custody until the circumstances of the abuse are fully clarified and any risks to the children are ruled out before returning them to family members.
In a previous post, Las Cosas de Fernanda stated that the mother of the minors, identified as Marlenis Cosme Nodal, is currently detained while the investigation is ongoing.
According to the official version, the authorities from the Ministry of the Interior, the Prosecutor's Office, the Department of Minors, and the Federation of Cuban Women acted "swiftly and responsibly" after receiving the initial complaint.
The profile, which serves as a local propaganda channel, emphasized the role of the State in the "protection of children" and highlighted that "the Cuban Revolution has always placed children at the center of its social policies."
In the same article, the media held local residents accountable for their alleged "complicit attitude" in not reporting the case earlier, and stated that the mother could face criminal penalties if it is confirmed that the injuries suffered by the minors were intentional.
The public outcry arose when a neighbor recorded the youngest child, about two years old, who tearfully told her that his mother had burned him with coffee.
The video, widely shared on social media, showed the blisters on the child's back and sparked a wave of national outrage. Another neighbor claimed that the three children had been scalded with hot water.
Only after the material went viral did the official institutions intervene in the case. Las Cosas de Fernanda reported that the police, the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Labor, the FMC, the Government, and the Communist Party in the province acted in coordination to protect the minors and transfer them to medical care.
The official media insisted that "the protection of children is a duty of the State and of society as a whole," in a tone that aimed to portray the regime's response as exemplary.
However, the official narrative contrasts with the reality described by witnesses, who claim that local authorities only responded after the video went viral.
On social media, users questioned the political use of the case, noting that the state's response came too late and that without the citizen's complaint, the minors would remain unprotected.
The versions reported by Las Cosas de Fernanda highlight that the three children were initially treated by specialists in burns, and that one of them had "significant, though not serious" injuries.
Official reports avoid detailing the extent of the injuries or the psychological state of the minors, while the criminal investigation continues.
The children's maternal grandmother, residing in the municipality of Cruces, has been contacted to take over their care, although the committee overseeing the case has determined that no handover will occur until the legal process is completed.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the procedure is carried out "in strict adherence to the law."
The case of the three children from Cienfuegos has rekindled the debate about the inefficiency of the child protection system in Cuba, where institutional intervention often arrives too late, and citizen reports are the only ones that manage to elicit a response.
While the minors recover under state custody, the regime attempts to control the narrative and present its actions as a demonstration of “revolutionary solidarity,” despite the fact that the horror only came to light thanks to the bravery of a neighbor with a mobile phone.
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