The Municipal Department of Public Health of Mayarí, in Holguín, published a statement on Facebook this Wednesday denying the existence of a psychiatric patient named Daniel in the locality of El Paso de la Bola under the conditions described in a complaint that went viral the previous day on social media.
The official institution responded to a complaint published on Tuesday by the activist Adry Díaz, who shared photographs of a naked man in a state of severe malnutrition lying on the side of a road in that community of Mayarí.
The official statement, published on the Facebook page of the municipal office, states: "We inform our community that, in light of recent posts on social media, there is no patient in our municipality in the locality of El Paso de la Bola named Daniel with the mentioned medical history. Please stay informed through our official channels."
Díaz had described Daniel as a psychiatric patient living alone in El Paso de la Bola, without any close family to care for him.
According to the publication, the man had gone out in search of help before collapsing: "Apparently he went out for assistance, but in the condition he’s in—God knows how long that poor soul has gone without food—he fell by the side of the road and was still alive when the lady who sent me the pictures saw him and, horrified, called for help."
The activist justified turning to social media instead of going to the authorities with a straightforward statement: "We all know that going to the government to report this atrocity is pointless." She described the case as part of the "silent genocide faced by the Cuban people."
It is quite common for the Cuban authorities to turn to social media to deny alleged accusations; however, in this case, as in others, no details are provided whatsoever.
In addition, the locality has accumulated other reports. In February 2025, images of malnourished elderly individuals tied to beds circulated at the Mártires de Mayarí Teaching Hospital.
In February, local authorities acknowledged four deaths at a local hospital, after a viral complaint mentioned 14 fatalities.
And in June 2026, reports of deterioration and shortages of medications were once again made at the Mártires de Mayarí Teaching Hospital.
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