The former Italian deputy Alessandro Di Battista, 48 years old, remains in serious condition at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana, and at this time, his medical condition prevents him from being transported to Italy.
Informed sources cited by the agency AdnKronos and reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano indicated that the Italian government is considering a medical flight for his repatriation, but the operation can only take place when doctors believe that the journey does not pose an additional risk to his health.
Despite the seriousness of his condition, Di Battista broke his silence on social media this Sunday with a message addressed to Ilaria Loquenzi, a former member of the communication team for the Five Star Movement (M5S).
"I will do everything I can to return soon," wrote the former politician in response to Loquenzi, who had urged him: "Don't give up and come back, please... so we can see the stars again."
Di Battista has been in Cuba since August 22 to produce a series of reports titled "The Dust of the World" for the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano and the platform TvLoft.
During his stay, he began to experience severe and persistent headaches, which he initially attributed to the fatigue accumulated from his frequent travels.
On Friday, he traveled from Havana to Santa Clara to visit the mausoleum of Che Guevara. However, the symptoms continued to worsen, and at the urging of an Italian friend living in Cuba and his sister from Italy, he sought medical attention.
Di Battista was urgently admitted to a hospital in Santa Clara and later transferred by ambulance to the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, where more extensive tests were conducted, including a contrast-enhanced CT scan.
The agency ANSA classified his condition as "serious," although it noted that the Italian remained alert and responsive to medical staff.
So far, no official diagnosis has been released. Some Italian media outlets have mentioned the possibility of a stroke, but that hypothesis has not been confirmed by doctors or authorities.
This Sunday, Italy's Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, spoke by phone with Di Battista and stated that he found him "combative in tone, not weakened in spirit despite the complicated situation."
Tajani also assured him that the Italian government will do "everything necessary for him, as it should for any Italian citizen in similar circumstances."
The hospitalization of the former deputy occurs amid a profound crisis in the Cuban healthcare system. In April, over 70% of essential medications—461 out of 651—were reported as out of stock in state pharmacies, and more than 96,000 patients remained on surgical waiting lists.
The Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital is one of the main referral centers for high-complexity cases and foreign patients in Cuba, a situation that contrasts sharply with the significant deterioration faced by much of the country's hospital network.
For now, Di Battista will have to remain hospitalized in Havana. His return to Italy will depend on the doctors determining that he is fit to undergo the medical transfer without putting his health at greater risk.
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