Rolando Alemán León, 55 years old, originally from Cruces, Cienfuegos, died on Sunday, September 6, just as he had lived his whole life: working.
He left his home to start his shift at Miami Airport and did not return; he became one of the five Cuban victims of the Amazon plane accident that shook the emigrant community.
What makes his story unique among the Cubans who lost their lives in the tragedy is what he left behind on the Island: for years, he was the postman of Cruces, the man who, in sun and rain, whether on bicycle or on foot, with his bag slung over his shoulder, would traverse every neighborhood delivering not just letters and telegrams, but also a greeting and a smile to every door.
Thus, Belkis Castellanos López recalled in a Facebook post: "The postman everyone knew, who never left a house unvisited, who was part of every neighborhood family in Cruces."
"Rolando was one of those Cubans who leave a mark wherever they go: first delivering mail in his town, then cleaning airplanes so that others could fly. Always working, always serving," he added.
In Miami, Rolando had just started in January 2026 to clean aircraft so that others could fly, one of those invisible tasks without which air traffic does not function. Janette Suárez, president of Professional Ocean Service, summed it up accurately: "When you sit on the plane, you don't realize the work they do. They have lives. They are people: parents, grandparents, uncles."
His sister Vivian Alemán, who spoke from Cruces with journalist Alexis Boentes, revealed a detail that encapsulates the cruelty of the moment: Rolando was about to finish his shift when the incident occurred.
"He was about 10 minutes away from leaving. They were just about to leave work, practically ready to go when it happened," said Vivian, who also shared that her brother always wore a medal from their late mother, whom he adored. "He had a medal on his chest that belonged to his mom, whom he cherished, but we haven't been able to find out if it was found with the bodies," she added.
Behind Rolando, there was also a shared life project. His partner, Yameli Mora, was waiting with him for the move to a house they had both purchased in the Tampa area, a dream that the accident shattered forever. "We have no words to explain such pain," Mora stated.
In this regard, Belkis Castellanos added: "Today, her partner is still trying to come to terms with what happened. She still waits, with the deepest sorrow, for that man who went out to earn a living with dignity and never returned."
He also asked to honor his memory: "Let him be remembered not only for how he died, but for how he lived: as a good son of Cruces, as a beloved postman, as a hardworking and supportive man."
A neighbor described him as a very kind person who would help him by taking him to his medical appointments, according to reports from Telemundo 51.
On his social media, Rolando had written a phrase that now resonates with a different strength: "May God's will always lead me where I need to be."
The tragic incident
On Sunday, September 6, a Boeing 767-300 freighter operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air veered off the runway while landing in Miami, coming from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The aircraft crossed a perimeter road at the airport and collided with a white Ford Econoline van carrying seven employees of Professional Ocean Service Corp., a contractor for aircraft cleaning and maintenance services.
Five workers died and two were injured. The Miami-Dade sheriff, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, officially identified the victims: Rolando Alemán León (55 years old), Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo (53), Julio C. Pineda (75), Carlos Acosta Fajardo (53), and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo (47).
The two injured individuals remain hospitalized and are: Ridoel Averhoff Díaz (32), reported in critical condition, and Roosevelt Sebastián Perdomo Torres (36), who is in stable condition.
All the deceased were Cubans and worked for the same contracting company, as indicated by 14yMedio.
Both pilots of the aircraft survived and were discharged; they are: Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37 years old, and Joseph Carol, 55.
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