The body of Francisco Mayor Delis, 71 years old, remained in his apartment in the Abel Santamaría neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba for approximately three days without the authorities removing it, according to a report published this Sunday by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada.
The deceased lived in building 63, apartment 5, third floor, Micro 2 of that neighborhood. Neighbors saw him for the last time on Thursday on the balcony of his home; since then, no one has seen him alive again.
It was the smell coming from the apartment that alerted the residents of the building this morning. According to the testimony received from Mayeta Labrada, doctors and police officers arrived at the scene, confirmed the death, but the body remained inside the home awaiting the vehicle responsible for its transfer, which did not appear for hours.
"Since early hours of this Sunday, the neighbors continue to wait, as the smell spreads throughout the building," wrote the journalist, who also noted that one of the deceased's sons is reportedly in custody and has not been granted permission to see his father. This last detail still requires independent confirmation.
Mayeta Labrada explained that the report initially came in anonymously through Facebook, and she decided to publish it as confirmed only after a direct source provided her with photographs, the deceased’s full name, and the exact location. “Now there are direct sources, a name, a specific location, and graphic material. That changes the level of information available, although there are still aspects to verify,” she clarified.
The journalist posed questions that the neighbors are also asking: "Why, after several hours, is the body still inside the home? Is there really no vehicle available to transport it? Which institution should respond in a situation like this?"
This type of situation reflects a documented collapse of funeral services in Cuba, which worsened between 2025 and 2026. In Ciego de Ávila, only eight out of 19 hearses were operational in October 2025. In Camagüey, a single vehicle covered the entire city in December of that same year. In Holguín, the authorities even blamed the families for the delays in collecting bodies. In Pinar del Río, families carried the coffin on foot to the cemetery due to a lack of funeral transport.
The shortage of fuel, poorly maintained vehicles, and inactive crematoriums are the recurring causes of a system that, in practice, leaves Cuban families without support in their most challenging moments.
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