The state press of Holguín confirmed that necrological services are experiencing a crisis marked by a shortage of coffins, funeral transportation, basic supplies, and capacity at the cemetery. This situation has forced families to confront lengthy delays, rushed burials, and other deficiencies in the midst of their grief.
A report published in the official newspaper ¡Ahora! described a bleak situation affecting the entire funeral process, from the collection of the body, the conditions for wake services at the funeral home, to the burial and subsequent exhumation.
Testimonies gathered from various local councils in the municipality reveal that, in the absence of funeral cars, many transfers are made using private vehicles, and the shortage of wood and other supplies critically impacts the availability of caskets.
On this last topic, an interviewee in the report stated that often if an unofficial payment of about 15,000 or 20,000 pesos is not made, the hours can pass without the arrival of the sarcophagus. In his opinion, the problem is not recent, but long-standing.
Workers and managers of the coffin factory in the municipality—destroyed by the recent Hurricane Melissa and relocated to another site—acknowledged the poor conditions they have to work under and how the final products do not meet the required quality standards. The plant employs about 15 people, half of the number that should be on staff.
The cycle of deficiencies affects all links in the chain associated with such a sensitive service: agroforestry companies lacking fuel to saw and transport the wood; cemeteries without capacity for new burials; hearses immobilized; funeral homes without air conditioning or minimal hygiene.
In the Mayabe cemetery, only 25% of the investment plan was fulfilled in 2025 due to a lack of steel and cement. Of the 26 hearses available in the entire province, only 8 are operational, the report indicates.
The revelations from Ahora come after ongoing complaints that have surfaced in recent months across various provinces of the country. In February, in the also Holguin town of Velasco, in the municipality of Gibara, a family improvised a cardboard coffin due to the complete absence of coffins at the local funeral home.
Days before, it was reported that the body of a Havana resident remained for over 12 hours without being transported due to a lack of transport and fuel. In September 2025, in the Reparto Luz area, also in Holguín, family members protested in the street after waiting more than 15 hours for the removal of an elderly woman's body.
The testimonies gathered in the report also show that, alongside material limitations, disorganization, lack of foresight, and apathy, in a national scenario where daily survival is paramount, the final farewell to loved ones has become a terrible uncertainty.
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