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Alberto Alonso Cáceres and Iniorvis Matos have been missing at sea for over two weeks after setting out to fish on June 5 from Playa Tasajera, in the municipality of Nueva Paz, Mayabeque, on a trip that was supposed to last only 36 hours.
Their families search for them alone, in debt, while the Cuban regime declared that it lacks the means to assist.
The case was publicly reported by journalist José Manuel González Rubines on Facebook, who detailed the institutional neglect faced by the relatives of the two fishermen, residents of the neighborhood "El 14" in Nueva Paz.
When Sunday, June 7, came and the men did not return, their families began to mobilize immediately. From Monday, June 8, to Monday, June 15, they went out to sea day after day, without finding the fishermen, the boat, or any trace that would allow them to determine their fate.
The entire operation was handled by the family members themselves.
They must have purchased the fuel in the informal market for 2,500 pesos per liter, and the total expense exceeded one million Cuban pesos, also forcing them to borrow money.
"The state did nothing; everything was covered by the family with fuel purchased at 2,500 pesos per liter. They have spent over a million pesos and have even had to borrow money," González wrote.
The official response was almost non-existent.
The regime declared that it does not have fuel, drones, or the capability to track the last signal from the phones of the missing.
He also refused to provide a boat, even when the family offered to cover the fuel costs.
"The only thing the authorities sent was an inspector with 20 liters of oil. That is all the State of Cuba values the lives of two of its citizens," the journalist noted.
Family members dismissed the possibility that Alberto and Iniorvis attempted to leave the country.
According to their loved ones, emigrating was not part of their plans. They both have children and grandchildren who await news every morning, not knowing whether they are alive or dead.
The case falls within a recurring pattern of maritime disappearances in Cuba where families organize and fund the searches due to the State's inaction.
In recent years, similar situations have been reported in Santiago de Cuba, Matanzas, Havana, and Mayabeque itself, with delayed or nonexistent government responses.
In January 2025, a teenager disappeared in Havana after going fishing and was found alive days later.
In April of that same year, the authorities updated the search for a missing boy at a beach in Matanzas, in another case that also affected the community.
The energy crisis that Cuba has been experiencing since 2023 exacerbates the problem: the fuel shortage affects both citizens and state institutions, including those involved in maritime rescue.
According to data from the UN published in September 2024, at least 626 people have died or gone missing on the Cuba-United States maritime route since 2014, and the actual number is likely higher due to so-called "invisible shipwrecks."
"The authorities have declared the search over, even though it never started," González concluded in his complaint.
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