The family of Radame Irán Clavel Chaveco, a Cuban truck driver who passed away in the United States, faces a double sorrow: the sudden loss of their loved one and the struggle to fulfill his last wish of being buried in Santiago de Cuba.
The independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada reported on this case on social media and requested support for a fundraising campaign, which was already closed at the time this news was published.
Iran lived with his family in Hialeah, Florida. According to his wife, the truck driver began to feel unwell with a fever and severe muscle aches during a work shift.
The next day, he stopped answering calls, and later the police notified the family that he had been found dead in the truck he was driving. The exact cause of death is still unknown. The family is awaiting the results of the forensic investigations.
Mayeta visited the family home in Hialeah to offer her condolences and mentioned that the family continued to receive visitors the entire time she was there. "He was a good person, very helpful," relatives and friends repeated to her amid hugs and tears.
The journalist's post was filled with messages describing a beloved person in his community. A close relative expressed: "Challenging, determined men with a heart as noble as yours are never forgotten; rest in peace, brother."
A family friend recalled that Iran, without anyone asking him to, would come to their house to bring provisions for his mother, and that he helped him get ahead in the United States. "The news hit me very hard," he wrote.
Another person noted that he was the godfather of his son and described him as “a kind, attentive man and a good provider” who cared deeply for his wife and family.
The truck driver leaves an enormous void on both sides of the sea. In Santiago de Cuba, his mother survives him, facing this loss just two months after having said goodbye to Iran's father, who also passed away unexpectedly.
The family's wish is for the ashes to arrive on the island so that she and the rest of her loved ones can say their final goodbye.
Repatriating a deceased Cuban: a costly and complex process
The case of Iran is part of a painful and recurring reality within the Cuban community in exile. Repatriating a body from the United States to Cuba can exceed several thousand dollars. The final cost depends on the city of origin, the chosen funeral home, air transportation, and the consular and health procedures involved.
The transfer of ashes is the most accessible option: with the death certificate and the cremation permit, they can travel by plane, even in the hands of a family member.
Nevertheless, the process requires consular coordination, legalization procedures, and costs that many families cannot shoulder alone, which has made fundraising campaigns on social media a common practice in the Cuban community in Florida.
In May of last year, the family of a young Cuban who died in ICE custody launched a campaign to cremate and repatriate his remains to Cuba.
The problem is not exclusive to the United States. In June, the mother of a Cuban who passed away in Santiago de Chile requested public assistance to repatriate her ashes, with a process that cost about 1,320 dollars and needed to be resolved within 48 hours.
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