A 26-year-old Cuban diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia lives confined in a room secured with bars within her own home in Velasco, municipality of Gibara, province of Holguín.
The shortage of medications to treat her illness complicates the situation, as the young woman reacts violently towards her parents during the crises.
The sad case was brought to light by activist Noly Blak in a video on Facebook that went viral within hours and has raised alarms about the institutional neglect faced by Cuban families with severely mentally ill patients.
A family on the edge
Gretel was born on November 19, 1999, and began showing symptoms of the disease in 2012, when she was just 13 years old.
They are cared for by their parents: their mother, Jacqueline, 56 years old, and their father, 81, who moves with two canes following a bladder operation in 2020 and subsequent tendonitis.
During her crisis episodes, the young woman can become violent and strike those who try to help her, even knocking her mother to the ground.
Due to the physical impossibility of controlling her, the family set up a space with bars.
The father sums it up bluntly: "I have to face the situation, I can't, just imagine, turn my back on it. I have to confront it, whatever comes my way."
"I've even started to cry thinking about that."
Jacqueline's testimony describes an extreme exhaustion that goes beyond the crises: the anguish of being unable to feed her daughter.
“I myself have spent nights thinking about the food for the girl who was locked in that room. How can I buy her food? I have even cried thinking about that; I can't sleep at night,” declared the mother in Noly Blak's video.
The medications that Gretel receives —20 mg olanzapine, 5 mg haloperidol, and a third substance identified in the testimony as "venadolina" 25 mg— create an appetite that is difficult to satisfy.
"She has that paranoid schizophrenia, and those medications give her a lot of anxiety and a strong appetite. We can't afford to give her anything. I am desperate," explained Jacqueline.
The family receives social assistance from the State, but the mother is adamant: “We are going through a quite difficult situation, because what we receive from that social assistance is not enough for what this girl needs.”
On a previous occasion when Gretel's case circulated on social media, a doctor based in the United States identified as "Dr. Redis" sent medication to the family.
"A really great medication. A wonderful medication," Jacqueline recalled.
The State, absent
When Noly Blak asked Jacqueline if social workers visit the home, the response was clear: “No, they don’t come here? No way. None. Nobody.”
The family claims that, despite receiving social assistance from the state, the help is insufficient to meet Gretel's needs and that social workers do not visit their home.
So far, the health authorities in Holguín have not issued any statement regarding the case, according to América Noticias USA, which reported on the situation.
A recurring mental health crisis
The case of Gretel is not an isolated one. It occurs amid a collapse of the mental health system in Cuba that has been worsening for years.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged in July 2025 that only between 30% and 32% of the basic medicine supply was available in the country, and in April 2026 it was reported that BioCubaFarma covered just 40% of the national demand for psychotropic drugs.
Holguín has been the setting for similar cases: in July 2026, a psychiatric patient was found in severe malnutrition in Mayarí, although the authorities officially denied its existence.
The family appeals for solidarity
Noly Blak, whose real name is Norge Ernesto Díaz Blak, is known in Holguín for highlighting situations of extreme vulnerability.
During the video, Gretel briefly interacted with the activist. When asked if she wanted her parents, she responded without hesitation, "I want them."
The case not only highlights the shocking reality of a young woman behind bars; it is, above all, a cry from a family seeking medication, help, and an alternative to care for her with dignity.
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