On Sunday, which would have been the 39th birthday of El Taiger, his two daughters sent messages filled with love through social media. Yaliet and Ana Paloma, separated by distance but united by the same sorrow, remembered their dad with words that moved thousands of followers.
Yaliet Caridad Carvajal, the eldest daughter of the Cuban singer, posted a long and heartfelt letter on Instagram that touched the hearts of those who read it. "Happy birthday up in heaven, Dad. Today I should be hugging you, giving you a gift, and telling you how much I love you," wrote the girl, who lives in Miami and will turn 13 this year.
With a maturity that surprises for her age, Yaliet did not hide the weight of what she carries: "I'm just a girl, Dad... and sometimes I feel like I have a pain that's too big for my little heart."
He also remembered that time passes, but the wound does not heal: "Even though it has been almost two years since you were murdered, my heart still doesn't understand how someone could do that to you. It still hurts. I still cry. I still miss you as if it were yesterday."
And although the tone of the message is one of immense sadness, Yaliet also made a firm promise: "I will never forget you. I will never let your name disappear. You will always live in my heart, in my memories, and in every tear I shed because I miss you."
He closed his letter asking for what the family has been waiting for nearly two years: "I am still waiting for justice. It's almost been two years, and I still don’t understand why justice has not been served for you. It breaks my heart to feel that time is passing and we are still waiting for answers."
From Cancún, Mexico, where she lives with her mom Nani Rodríguez, Ana Paloma Carbajal Rodríguez also participated in the tribute with a video singing the song she dedicated to her dad.
His written message was shorter, but just as heartfelt: "Even though you are no longer with me, I feel you in my heart every day. Thank you for watching over me from heaven. I'm sending you a hug filled with love."
The Cuban artist José Manuel Carvajal Zaldívar, known as El Taiger, passed away on October 10, 2024 at the age of 37, after being found with a gunshot wound to the head in Miami on October 3 of that year.
The accused of the crime, Damián Valdez Galloso, is facing first-degree murder charges and remains in detention. The trial, which has been rescheduled several times, is set for March 2027, with a follow-up hearing scheduled for November 10 of this year.
As justice moves at its own pace, his daughters continue to remember him on every significant date. As Yaliet wrote at the end of her letter: "Today I can't bring you a cake or give you a hug, but I'm sending you the biggest congratulations that exist up to the sky. Happy birthday, Dad!"
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