A Cuban worker who was injured after the collapse of a construction building in Atlantic Gardens, on the east coast of Demerara, Guyana, is now out of danger, though he is experiencing psychological effects, according to a report by the communicator Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on Facebook.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday, April 15, around 7:10 PM, when workers were pouring and smoothing fresh cement on the roof of the two-story structure owned by businessman Omprakash Shivraj, known as "Buddy" Shivraj.
There were nine people present: seven Guyanese, one Cuban, and one Venezuelan.
The outcome was tragic: Radesh Domingo, a 46-year-old Guyanese carpenter, lost his life instantly after being trapped under the collapsed structure and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The others sustained injuries of varying degrees.
The Cuban worker, who had been working overtime to earn a little extra money, was taken to the hospital after the accident.
"I was left hanging when everything collapsed, and I just stayed there waiting for it to fall on me; I’m alive by a miracle," he declared to a close associate who managed to speak with him after the incident.
The man has received visits from other compatriots, but so far he has not received any payment for the work done or clear guarantees following the accident.
At their own request, their identity and province of origin remain anonymous: they asked that their family in Cuba not be informed about what happened, Mayeta clarified in another post.
According to sources close to the case, behind the construction are Guyanese figures with significant economic power and influence, capable of mobilizing resources and even authorities, but not always ensuring safe conditions for those who are building those walls.
"What exists there is money and power, but it’s the worker who bears the burden," summarized one of those sources.
The Police Division 4C and the Fire Service of Guyana responded to the incident and are investigating the causes by reviewing CCTV footage. The Ministry of Labour of Guyana has also launched an investigation into the safety protocols at the site.
This would not be an isolated case. Other workers claim that similar situations are repeating across different projects, where Cubans, Venezuelans, and Guyanese share the same fate: long hours, high risks, and few guarantees.
The most direct precedent is the death of Dayrovis Martínez Mendoza, a 24-year-old Cuban who passed away last September when a 4.5-meter-high concrete wall collapsed on him in Bachelor's Adventure, also located on the east coast of Demerara. His family faced weeks of efforts to repatriate the body and received compensation deemed "insufficient."
The pattern repeats: Cuban migrants arriving in Guyana are drawn by the construction boom, working under precarious conditions and left unprotected when accidents occur.
"Migrants are the ones who build the works, who work double shifts, who accept conditions that others refuse. They are the last to get paid and the first to be forgotten when something goes wrong," summarized Mayeta Labrada.
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