Elder from Güira de Melena has been missing for 12 days

The family of an elderly resident in Güira de Melena, Artemisa, is experiencing days of anguish following his disappearance on January 12.

José Rafael Lorie Sánchez, 84 years old, left the house that day not feeling well.

Before leaving, he told a neighbor that he was heading to the Calixto García Hospital in Havana. However, he is not recorded there, nor at the Naval Hospital, where he usually received treatment.

Her daughter, Leticia Palacios Lorie, made an urgent appeal on Facebook asking for help after almost two weeks without any news about her whereabouts.

"Nobody has reached out to me, as he has done on several occasions. I have no contact with any of his military friends," said the woman.

The family has also been unable to reach any of the gentleman's military friends, which increases the uncertainty.

Leticia fears that her father may be undocumented and that he could be feeling disoriented or incoherent.

"At this point, the concern is always growing. So many days without hearing from him! We don't know where he is or if he is at someone's house or a friend's," he expressed.

In the absence of information, the family decided to make several phone numbers public so that anyone with information can contact them: Leticia's, her brother Jorge's, and a stepson's named Hugo. "I thank you," she concluded in her message.

Only after detailing the specific disappearance does the case reflect a broader reality that affects many families in Cuba.

When a person goes missing, relatives often find themselves almost entirely alone in the search. With no effective mechanisms or clear responses from the authorities, the burden falls almost entirely on those who are enduring the absence.

Instead of having an active location system, many families are compelled to turn to social media as their primary tool.

Facebook, WhatsApp, independent media, and the support of ordinary citizens are taking the place of what should be a sustained institutional effort.

The story of Leticia and her father is no exception. It is another example of how, in the absence of real support, Cubans must turn to public solidarity to try to find their loved ones.

Anxiety arises not only from not knowing where a person is, but also from the feeling that the search relies almost entirely on family efforts and the echo they can create on the Internet.