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A deceased neighbor in Cayo Cedro, a rural community in the municipality of Cacocum, in the province of Holguín, was taken to the cemetery in a yoke of oxen last Saturday because the funeral services lacked fuel to operate a vehicle, according to a public complaint shared on Facebook.
The citizen Nelson Alejandro Salazar was the one who alerted authorities about the situation upon finding the scene upon returning to his neighborhood. The post was shared by the user Irma Lidia Broek under the title "Real testimony: the sad reality of Cayo Cedro, Cacocum," generating outrage on social media.
"Letting go of a loved one is already painful; having to do so under these conditions is inhumane," the activist stated in her post, where she also asked, "Where have the values and principles gone?"
The fact is not an isolated case. Just three days earlier, a funeral procession with the coffin transported in a cart pulled by a tricycle moved Cuba and went viral on social media, captured by a Cuban woman waiting in a gasoline line.
The pattern is repeated in several provinces. In Bayamo, Granma province, horse-drawn carriages are used due to the lack of gasoline. In Santiago de Cuba, in July 2024, a dump truck was used to transport two deceased individuals due to the absence of funeral vehicles.
In Ciego de Ávila, only eight out of 19 funeral cars were operational in February 2025. In Camagüey, there was just one vehicle operating for the entire city.
In Holguín, the situation is particularly dire. The province has been experiencing power outages of up to 18 hours a day since 2025, and in areas like Velasco, families have had to improvise coffins because the State lacks the necessary materials. In February 2026, were reported to be used by families in the province due to the shortage of wood.
The collapse of funeral services is a direct consequence of the energy crisis affecting the island. Cuba has not received oil regularly since December 2025, resulting in a deficit of about 60,000 barrels daily against a demand of 100,000. The price of gasoline in the informal market reached between 3,500 and 8,000 Cuban pesos in June 2026, and only three gas stations operated in Havana, with lines lasting up to 15 hours.
The Cuban minister Vicente de la O Levy himself admitted in October 2025 that the fuel "doesn't last for the whole month" and that there are only reserves for "a few days."
The only response from the regime has been to deploy around 15 electric funeral vehicles in Havana, which cover 90% of the burials in the capital. Rural communities in the interior, such as Cayo Cedro, are completely left out of this solution.
In Santiago de Cuba, animal-drawn funeral carts were inaugurated in February 2026 as an official measure in response to the crisis, a sign that regression has already become state policy.
The publication that reported the relocation in Cacocum captures the sentiments of a weary community: "The shortage of food, medicine, and basic resources is stifling life and youth in the fields of Cuba."
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