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The intensivist doctor Leudis Alfonso Minguía reported having been physically assaulted while on duty in the Intensive Care Unit of the Julio Miguel Aristegui Villamil Hospital in Cárdenas, in the province of Matanzas, Cuba.
According to the testimony of the doctor himself and individuals who claim to have witnessed the events, the incident occurred when a man entered the Intensive Care Unit asking for the physician and attacked him as soon as he came out to attend to him.
Photographs shared on social media show bruising around the left eye, facial swelling, and wounds on the face of the specialist, who was wearing a blue medical coat.
Several hospital workers had to intervene to separate the aggressor and prevent the situation from escalating further.
Doctor Minguía claims that the attack was motivated by comments he had previously made about the country's situation during a conversation with colleagues.
Various sources indicate that the assailant is the husband of an employee at the hospital itself and is believed to be connected to the Cuban law enforcement authorities.
Sources close to the case also indicate that, following the assault, there were attempts to file charges against the assaulted doctor, reversing the roles of victim and aggressor.
So far, neither the hospital administration nor the relevant authorities have released any official statement regarding the incident.
The complaint was posted in the Facebook group "Cardenenses" and sparked a widespread reaction of outrage in the community, with hundreds of people describing the doctor as an excellent professional and human being.
Among the comments, neighbors, patients, and colleagues demanded justice and labeled the incident as an act of political repression. "This is an act of cowardice. The level of obsession with not being able to prove that everything said is a lie leads to a desire to silence through aggression," wrote one of the users.
Other comments pointed directly to a coordinated action: “That was ordered. The aggressor did not have the courage to confront him on equal terms.”
Several users recalled that the doctor had attended to their family members with dedication and commitment, while others warned about the consequences for the healthcare system: "That's why there will be fewer professionals every day."
The case fits into a documented pattern of retaliation against Cuban workers who express critical opinions of the regime. In July 2025, the Instituto Cubano por la Libertad de Expresión y Prensa (ICLEP) recorded a total of 203 violations of freedom of expression in a single month, including 92 arbitrary arrests and 80 threats or psychological assaults attributed to State Security.
Cárdenas has seen several incidents in recent months that reflect the deterioration of social order in the locality. In April, the death of a nurse in the city caused shock among the community, and in February a blind retiree died after being assaulted in a bank line.
The Cuban healthcare system is also experiencing a severe crisis marked by a shortage of medications, heavy workloads, and unpaid salaries, in which workers operate under extreme pressure. As one commentator summarized: "Is attacking medical personnel the solution to Cuba’s crisis? This only demonstrates the decay of the system."
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