In Santiago de Cuba, a horse-drawn funeral carriage has been inaugurated due to a lack of fuel

The crisis in Cuba is no longer measured solely by blackouts, endless lines, or food shortages. In Santiago de Cuba, the precariousness has reached such an extreme point that even death must wait or adapt.

On Saturday, February 7th, in the municipality of San Luis, Santiago de Cuba province, an animal-drawn hearse was "inaugurated," a type of metal cart designed to transport coffins, pulled by a horse, due to the lack of fuel and the unavailability of vehicles for funeral services.

The images shared on social media show several people gathered around the makeshift vehicle, while the closed structure mounted on wheels can be seen, with side windows, and the animal hitched at the front, ready to pull it down the streets.

Instead of causing institutional alarm, the scene appears to have been presented as a practical solution, almost like an "achievement," amidst the collapse of state transportation.

On social media, user Raúl Pérez Velázquez, in the Facebook group “Revolico Contramaestre,” confirmed that it was a "new animal-drawn vehicle for transporting the deceased" and attributed the measure directly to the fuel shortage, noting that the government is seeking alternatives so that families "do not struggle in their final eternal rest."

However, for many Cubans, the message is that even dying does not guarantee dignity in present-day Cuba.

An old problem that worsens every year

The case of San Luis is not an isolated incident. On the contrary, it is part of a long chain of reports that have highlighted the collapse of the funeral system in Santiago de Cuba and other provinces.

In June 2024, it was reported how a coffin had to be transported in a truck designed for mass passenger transport, due to the deterioration of the funeral vehicle fleet in Santiago.

At that time, independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta reported that the province had only two operational funeral vehicles to serve a population of nearly one million inhabitants.

Months later, in September 2024, another case shocked Cubans when a group of people had to carry a coffin on foot for two kilometers in Mayabeque, due to the complete lack of transportation for the burial.

In April 2025, outrage erupted again in Guisa, Granma, where a family had to say farewell to a loved one using an improvised vehicle from Flora and Fauna, due to the absence of a hearse.

And in December 2025, once again in San Luis, it was reported that a corpse was transported in a cage truck, a type of transport commonly used for animals or goods, after the family members waited for hours without a funeral vehicle being available.