Alessandro Di Battista, former Italian deputy of the 5 Star Movement, remains sedated in intensive care at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana after being urgently operated on Sunday and, according to close sources cited by the newspaper Corriere della Sera, he may stay in Cuba for up to four more weeks.
The Italian politician and journalist, who arrived on the island in late August for reporting, suffered a sudden illness while visiting the mausoleum of Che Guevara in Santa Clara and was urgently transported to Havana, where he remained hospitalized in critical condition.
His return to Italy, initially scheduled for September 5, had to be canceled when Di Battista suffered a sudden deterioration while being transported by ambulance to the airport.
The deterioration necessitated an emergency surgery at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, the exact nature of which was not publicly disclosed, although the procedure was described as successful.
After the surgery, Di Battista was placed in intensive care and under sedation, a situation that remains the same this Monday.
Sources close to the politician indicated that he could remain in Cuba "for up to 30 days after the operation," which would suggest his potential return to Italy around October 6.
The same sources conveyed the anguish of those surrounding the former deputy: “We are waiting for the developments. We will see what happens at the end of the sedation period. We are on edge, as is natural: we all wish we had more information and, above all, the certainty that Alessandro can recover. For now, we are taking it step by step.”
Italy had previously sent doctors from the Gemelli Hospital in Rome to assist the Cuban medical team in the care of the patient, although an official diagnosis has not been disclosed.
Italian media pointed to a possible neurological or vascular condition, though no source has formally confirmed this.
The Schierarsi association, of which Di Battista is the vice president, requested discretion and to avoid speculation: "We invite everyone to exercise caution. This is a delicate phase."
The case has generated intense media coverage in Italy, with messages of solidarity from political figures across various parties, while the former congressman's return to his country is entirely dependent on the progression of his health condition.
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