The family of Alexander Pantoja Bertot, an employee of the Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba, has been missing since last Thursday in an area located between the municipalities of Palma Soriano and Contramaestre. They fear that a third party may be behind his disappearance and that the man may have been moved outside the area where the search is concentrated.
Yaima Bertot, Alexander's sister, expressed those suspicions in statements to the Cuban activist Magdiel Jorge Castro, to whom she explained that her brother left on Thursday with several companions to carry out work in a rural area of Santiago de Cuba.
According to his account, the companions were supposed to leave him at the location so he could do his work, and they could pick him up later on their way back, a practice that he claimed was common.
"He often worked like that. They leave him in one place, he does his job, and he either leaves on his own or his colleagues pick him up. What he did that day was nothing unusual," he explained.
Yaima pointed out that Alexander was well acquainted with the area and had been working at the Electric Company for years, first when he lived in Contramaestre and later in Santiago de Cuba.
He also stated that his brother was alone and that the only valuable item he had with him was his mobile phone.
One of the elements that most concerns the family is that the dogs used during the operation apparently lose their scent.
" Dogs lose track and cannot find him. What we think is that perhaps he finished his work or not, but that someone has him and has taken him to another place," said the sister.
Additionally, Yaima expressed her distress again this Sunday in a Facebook post, as three days have passed without any news regarding the whereabouts of her brother.
"If anyone had a problem, a disagreement, or anything that day with him since he arrived at that place to work, let them speak up so this issue can be resolved," he requested.
The woman questioned how Alexander could disappear despite knowing the area where he was working.
"Since my brother went to work and already knew that place, why doesn't he appear? Who has him, where, and for what reasons?", he wrote.
In addition, he made a direct appeal regarding the possibility that someone may be holding him: "It’s already time to let him go or place him somewhere he can be picked up."
"I want to stay positive until the end to encourage my mother and family, but the reality may be different. I beg to have my brother placed somewhere where he can be seen, not a single more day without news of him," she added.
His wife, his children, his mother, and other relatives continue to wait for news, while Yaima insists that anyone who knows any details about what happened should communicate them as soon as possible.
Alexander disappeared while performing work duties and inspecting the power line that supplies the Gota Blanca reservoir, in an area located between Palma Soriano and Contramaestre.
The search was expanded over the weekend with dozens of electrical workers, canine units, police officers, rescuers, and local farmers.
For this Sunday, it was also announced the addition of drones for aerial search, while ground efforts continue and the family remains hopeful of finding him.
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