A teacher from the eastern region of Cuba has been separated from his family for nearly six months—since January 3, 2026—after being assigned to address the chronic shortage of teachers in Havana.
This Friday, along with hundreds of colleagues, he attempts to return home aboard an extra train arranged by the Ministry of Transportation that departed from La Coubre station two hours late.
«The day after tomorrow will mark six months since I've been home, since January 3rd, supporting education here in Ciudad Habana,» the teacher recounted before the cameras.
His final destination is in the East, where his 10-year-old daughter, whom he hasn't seen in all that time, is waiting for him.
The train, consisting of 11 cars, covers the route Havana-Bayamo/Manzanillo and was primarily designed to transport teachers who completed the 2025-2026 school year in the capital.
The departure was scheduled for 7:30 in the morning, but technical issues and problems with the power supply delayed the departure.
"The departure was scheduled for 7:30, there are issues with the machine, there is fuel, but we have to understand it because it has been a difficult situation," explained the conductor, who added that the train was already two hours behind schedule with his family waiting for him at the other end of the Island.
According to Yandy Benet Acosta, director of Resource Planning at the General Directorate of Education of Havana, this is the second extra train to depart during the holiday period.
A previous convoy on July 1st transported 680 teachers to Guantánamo and experienced a three-hour delay due to technical failures, including three cars with breakdowns and a broken hose.
Teachers were required to report four hours before departure, with pickups starting at 5:30 in the morning across the 11 municipalities of Havana.
The return operation, coordinated between MITRANS, the Union of Railways of Cuba, and the General Directorate of Education of Havana, includes departures to Guantánamo, Bayamo, Manzanillo, and Santiago de Cuba during the first half of July.
The seats that are not occupied by teachers and students are offered to the general public; return trips to Havana are fully reserved for the priority group.
The teacher explained the operation of the system: "Now the trains are leaving every 16 days, but in between those days, extra trains are departing for Bayamo, Santiago, and Guantánamo, transporting students and professors who have stayed here in Havana and have already completed their courses."
This operation takes place against the backdrop of the worst railway crisis Cuba has faced in decades: the system operates with only 12 of the 34 locomotives required, 67% of the tracks need urgent maintenance, and MITRANS declared an "emergency mode" in February 2026, reducing the frequency of regular trains to one departure every 16 days per destination. Last May, a trip between Holguín and Havana took as long as 27 hours.
This transportation crisis is compounded by an educational one: Cuba has been facing a deficit of 24,000 teachers since the 2024-2025 school year, particularly concentrated in Havana and in the teaching of exact sciences.
To alleviate the situation, the regime mobilized teachers from the eastern provinces, who spent entire months away from their families.
The 2025-2026 school year was concluded earlier, from June 15 to June 30, precisely due to energy and transportation issues.
Despite everything, the teacher held onto hope as he set off: "Of course I want to get home, see my family, my 10-year-old daughter whom I adore. Knowing that tomorrow or in the afternoon we will arrive in the East without any problems."
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