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The body of Marintia Cruz Vidal, a 25-year-old Cuban woman, remains unclaimed at the Medical Examiner's Office (SEMEFO) in Villahermosa, Tabasco, and authorities have set April 30 as the deadline to send her to a mass grave if no family member comes forward to claim her.
Mexican media has amplified the search so that the information reaches her family and Marintia's remains can be repatriated to Cuba.
According to local reports, Marintia arrived in southeastern Mexico in 2025 as part of the migratory flow crossing the country in search of better opportunities, and she died under circumstances that have not been fully clarified publicly.
On March 31, the date he would have turned 25, his body was already under forensic protection.
A citizen came forward to the Prosecutor's Office and fully identified her, providing her name, nationality, and her last photograph in life. However, since he was not a blood relative, Mexican law prohibits the release of the body to those who cannot prove a direct family relationship.
The context is not isolated. In Tabasco, a surge of violence had left a significant number of unclaimed bodies in the SEMEFO, a situation that worsens with the constant arrival of migrants in transit. According to recent data shared by the broadcaster XEVA 91.7 FM, Tabasco accounted for 53% of all irregular migrants detected in Mexico during the last migration cycle.
The case of Marintia is reminiscent of other Cubans who have died on Mexican soil without the possibility of being repatriated. A Cuban dancer who died in Mexico in December 2025 also faced obstacles for her family to recover her remains, just like a Cuban doctor who died in January 2026 and was only able to be repatriated after weeks of efforts.
The situation reflects the extreme vulnerability of tens of thousands of Cubans stranded in Mexican territory, many of whom are undocumented, without a close family support network, and exposed to various risks during the migration process.
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