Yandiel Jurado, an 18-year-old recruit from Manzanillo, Granma, died from a gunshot while serving in Active Military Service (SMA) in an incident that, according to testimonies, reportedly occurred while he was talking on the phone with his girlfriend.
The case was initially reported by crime reporter Niover Licea through NiO Reporting a Crime and was later confirmed by the independent media outlet 14ymedio.
One of the most detailed accounts was provided by Alfredo González, the father of another young man who died during Military Service in Matanzas in 2021 and has since publicly documented similar cases.
"The cause was that a friend, while playing with the rifle, accidentally fired and shot him in the forehead. He was talking to his girlfriend on the phone, and she sensed when he told her not to play anymore and then felt the shot," González declared to 14ymedio.
Testimonials cited by NiO Reporting a Crime claim that there would be a recording of that call that could provide information about what happened. According to this source, Yandiel's girlfriend used to record their conversations, and in the recording, the young man is heard warning another recruit to stop aiming the weapon. Seconds later, a gunshot is heard, and the communication ends abruptly.
González also informed ADN Cuba that the recruit identified as the one responsible for the shooting is in custody and that, according to the information he received, he may have attempted to take his own life after the incident. NiO Reportando Un Crimen indicated that he would be held in a military facility known as El Naranjal, in Bayamo.
Cuban military authorities have not publicly commented on the circumstances of the death.
Yandiel's wake took place at his family's home in Manzanillo, and the burial occurred on Sunday around 10:00 in the morning.
According to testimonies collected by NiO Reportando Un Crimen, there was a notable military presence during the farewell, which included several officials, among them a colonel and a brigadier general, as well as a political official. There were also agents in civilian clothes reportedly remaining in the vicinity.
Close sources reported that the deployment aimed to prevent family members and attendees from recording or contacting independent media. Alfredo González also stated that Yandiel's colleagues in the Military Service were not allowed to attend the burial.
Those who knew the young man described him as "calm, cheerful, a good friend, a lover of music and dance," and someone who "usually didn't get involved in trouble."
His partner, Leonardo Cedeño Rosabal, bid farewell on social media, recalling the plans they had made for when that chapter would come to an end: "For sure, my brother. That day when we were on leave, we said: this will pass, and after this passes, we would celebrate."
Claudia Reyes expressed her sorrow that they weren't able to say goodbye and remembered him as "a brother, a friend, and a member of our family." "We feel very bad because you left without saying goodbye," she wrote, before referring to the young man by his nickname, "Riki," and concluding with "R.I.P."
Another one of the most emotional reactions was from Yanet Arletys Domínguez, who shared a screenshot of what appears to be a call log with Yandiel and wrote: "The call I will long for the most in my life is yours. Yandiel Jurado, I love you, my love."
Yandiel was an only child. People close to the family claim that his mother opposed him performing Military Service, although the young man was eventually enlisted.
Her death adds to a long list of young individuals who have lost their lives while fulfilling mandatory service in Cuba. According to the Cuban Civic Audit Observatory, at least 97 recruits died or went missing between 2001 and the spring of 2026, with an average age of 18.7 years. The record counts 33 suicides, 25 cases attributed to serious negligence, and 22 accidents.
In March, Dailier Rodríguez Tamayo, aged 19, died from a gunshot while fulfilling his military service in Havana. Another case is that of Antonio Alejandro Ressi Roque, aged 18, whose mother has been demanding answers for over a year regarding her son's death.
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