The authorities of Necrological Services in Las Tunas have urged families to promptly carry out the exhumations of their deceased due to the ongoing capacity issues in the cemeteries of the province and the limited availability of ossuaries to accommodate the remains.
The situation was addressed by the government-aligned Periódico 26, which acknowledged prolonged delays in these procedures at the Vicente García cemetery, the main burial ground in the city of Las Tunas.
According to the report, there are exhumations that have far exceeded the allowed extension periods, forcing the staff of Necrological Services to go out into the neighborhoods to try to locate family members and have them participate in the removal and relocation of the remains.
The task is not always possible. Some families have moved, others have emigrated, and in some cases, the individuals originally responsible for the process have also passed away.
When family members do not appear and there is a need to free up capacities, workers can carry out the exhumations “on their own initiative”, a legally provided option that has already had to be used at certain times, according to the publication.
The problem does not end with the opening of the graves. Periódico 26 acknowledged that, due to the limited availability of ossuaries, some exhumed remains end up temporarily in common waiting areas.
The situation may later complicate their identification. The newspaper itself noted that, over time, some descendants struggle to easily find the remains of their relatives, which are kept in the custody of cemetery workers while they await a permanent solution.
In light of this situation, the Municipal Directorate of Necrological Services recently issued an official communication requesting families to cooperate and adhere to the scheduled dates for the exhumation procedures.
Dulce María Zayas Rodríguez, deputy director of Necrological Services in the municipality of Las Tunas, later assured local radio that the population had responded favorably to the call.
According to the official, this collaboration has made it possible to restore capacities and, for the time being, prevent new burials in the Becerra cemetery and other nearby graveyards.
The very Periódico 26 now acknowledges that a significant portion of the necrological facilities in Las Tunas requires investments and resources, so addressing the pending exhumations only partially alleviates a capacity issue that remains without a definitive solution.
Although it may seem incredible, the need to free up space is not new.
In April, the Vicente García cemetery suspended burials in its state areas due to a collapse that the authorities themselves acknowledged had been unresolved for about eight years.
Zayas Rodríguez then admitted that there were no longer areas to construct new vaults and that exhumations were necessary to regain capacity.
On that occasion, the official explained that the remains of deceased individuals from 2024 were being exhumed and would remain within the cemetery, although many would have to do so temporarily while new ossuaries were being established.
He also acknowledged that Servicios Necrológicos had the authority to carry out exhumations on its own when it was unable to locate the relatives.
The crisis is worsening because Las Tunas does not have its own crematorium for bodies.
Families wishing to use that service have had to turn to facilities in Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, or other provinces, while Vicente García and the cemetery in Puerto Padre have been struggling for years with capacity issues regarding niches and ossuaries.
The deterioration of the Vicente García cemetery has also led to much more serious complaints.
In February 2025, skulls and other bone remains were reported on a road near the cemetery, as residents showed deteriorated niches and demanded greater respect for the deceased.
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