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The fear of a greater tragedy keeps a Cuban family living in extreme conditions on edge after years of hardship.
Lázaro Junier del Castillo, a 38-year-old father, has publicly reported the serious risk situation that his six children are facing at the "Solidaridad" shelter, in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality, in Havana, following several episodes of violence involving the children's mother.
According to her testimony -released by Martí Noticias- authorities have been alerted for months, but have not taken effective measures to protect the children, despite the severity of the situation.
"Here, nothing will happen until a child dies," he said in statements to the mentioned media outlet.
Del Castillo claims that since the separation of the couple, which took place three months ago, the children's mother, Dariannis Silvera, 37, has engaged in multiple attempts of aggression against the minors, including death threats.
“She started threatening the boys… she went at them with a knife, wanting to attack all of them; my oldest son had to take the knife away from her,” the father recounted.
It also reported that on another occasion the woman threw hot water at them.
In light of these events, he filed a formal complaint in September at the police unit in El Capri, registered under the number 71054.
However, he claims that neither the police nor the authorities in charge of minors have taken action.
“Capri has not taken any measures and no one has done anything. Here, nothing will happen until a child dies or she kills a child,” they expressed with desperation.
Martí Noticias tried to contact the police unit to learn about the status of the case, but did not receive a response.
Six children, two with disabilities
Lázaro Junier del Castillo is exclusively responsible for his six children.
Among them is a teenager with intellectual disabilities and a two-year-old child who is deaf, which makes the family situation even more delicate.
The family has been residing for seven years at the temporary shelter "Solidaridad," located at kilometer 15 and a half of the Managua road.
In that center, more than 20 families and over 50 children live, some of whom have been waiting for a permanent home for up to a decade.
Overpopulation is compounded by precarious conditions: structural deterioration, overcrowding, and a lack of water due to a broken pump, a problem that, according to the complainant, has not been resolved despite multiple attempts to address it.
"I have gone to the government, I have gone to see the president of the council, and no one has solved my problem. No one has come here, not even to say to me: 'Let's see, Lázaro, what happened,'" he lamented.
Suicide attempt and a healthcare system without resources
The crisis reached a critical point last weekend when Dariannis Silvera allegedly attempted to take her own life after threatening to jump from the third floor of the shelter.
She was transferred to Julio Trigo Hospital, but according to her ex-partner, the facility did not have the necessary medications to treat her.
"The doctor tells me, ‘Look, I don’t have any medication to give you for her.’ The medication had to be brought from home," he explained.
Del Castillo fears that the woman will leave the hospital and return to the shelter in an altered state, which—he insists—would again put the children in danger.
It states that the mother is experiencing a temporary depressive crisis, exacerbated by the extremely harsh living conditions.
Pending custody and children at risk
The father is still waiting for a court date to obtain legal custody of the minors, a delay he considers unacceptable given the urgency of the case.
“I hope they grant me custody… because they really have no one else, just me.”, he said.
Meanwhile, the children continue to live in the same environment, without a protection order, without provisional custody, and without guarantees of safety.
Reactions from the public: concern, pain, and complaints
The case has generated a wave of reactions on social media.
Many users expressed distress over the fate of the minors and agreed that the priority must be to protect the children, regardless of the mother's legal situation.
Several internet users pointed out that the woman "is not in her right mind" and needs urgent psychiatric attention, while others highlighted institutional abandonment, a lack of medications, and the neglect of children in Cuba.
Other comments pointed out that situations like this are not isolated cases, but rather a reflection of a deep social crisis characterized by extreme poverty, a lack of basic services, and the absence of state responses.
The "Solidaridad" shelter has become a symbol of social deterioration in vulnerable areas of Havana. Entire families have been surviving there for years without housing solutions, with children growing up in conditions that many describe as inhumane.
Neighbors and residents claim that no one systematically monitors the situation of minors, nor assesses the psychosocial risks they are exposed to.
A Tragedy Foretold
The case of Lázaro Junier del Castillo and his six children exposes an alarming reality: the combination of economic crisis, collapse of the mental health system, bureaucracy, and child neglect.
While the father pleads for help and the complaints pile up, the children continue to wait for an intervention that could prevent an irreversible tragedy.
The question looming in the air is unsettling and urgent: How many more signs are needed for the authorities to act before it’s too late?
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