The death of René, affectionately known as "Renecito," a young Cuban who lived in Havana and maintained close ties to Isla de la Juventud, has triggered numerous messages of grief among family, friends, and those who knew him since childhood.
The news began to circulate among the community of Isla de la Juventud, surrounded by disbelief. Dani Darien Infante initially posted a photograph of the young man in the Facebook group Revolico 39 Isla de la Juventud with a direct request: "People, please confirm if this is true or false."
"If it were true, rest in peace my love, what a great pain for the entire family and friends. I don't understand why so many young people find themselves in this situation; it's sad and painful," they wrote at that time, when they still had no certainty about the death.
The doubts began to clear as family members and close acquaintances started to confirm the news. The page Carapachibey Pinero, dedicated to content related to Isla de la Juventud, also reported the death.
"Yes, it is true. Unfortunately, Renecito will not return to the Isle of Youth with his people who loved him so much and will miss him," the post stated, adding that the young man lived in Havana.
The same photograph began to appear on friends' profiles. One of them recalled that they had known each other since school and that René had come to be “like a brother I never had”. In the comments, expressions of disbelief such as “I still can't believe it” quickly multiplied, along with dozens of farewell messages.
Hours later, Dani Darien Infante himself, who had initially requested assistance to confirm the information, published a new message in which he confirmed the death as true.
“Damn, Renesito, my man, what devastating news, my love, what a great pain for all the people who cared for you,” she wrote.
"A large part of the people from the Island who truly loved you stand with you in this feeling and wish you all the strength in the world. Rest in peace, my little black one; may God receive you in the best place, my child," she added in farewell.
The family confirms the death
Among the messages that helped clear up any doubts was one from Bárbara Reyes, who identified herself as René's cousin and expressed her gratitude for the condolences received.
"Thank you all very much for your condolences to our family. We are going through a difficult time. Yes, Renecito, our cousin, has left us. Today his family, both abroad and in Cuba, is very sad about what has happened," he wrote.
Another particularly close confirmation appeared when a user insisted that the news was false. Thalia Ramírez then identified herself as the mother of René's daughter and responded: "It's not a lie, I am the mother of his little girl and it's not a lie."
The messages also allow for the reconstruction of the young man's connections with the pine community. Several people identified him as Arelis's son, while Mary Pérez Aguilera recalled that "Renecito was very much loved in the neighborhood where he was born and raised" and extended her condolences to Arelis and the rest of the family.
Others who knew him recalled the recentness of their encounters with him. Reynol Rodríguez stated, "I can't believe it, just a few days ago I was talking to him here in Havana, at the corner of my house."
A family member links death to drugs
The exact circumstances of the death have not been officially clarified. However, Bárbara Reyes attributed what happened to drug or chemical substance use when another user directly asked her what had happened to her cousin.
"Drugs, those chemicals are destroying the youth. Cuba has gone out of control, everything is very intense," he replied.
The family did not specify what substance might have been involved nor did they indicate that there was a medical report establishing the cause of death.
In the comments, other versions have circulated. One user claimed that René may have died from an overdose, while another person asserted that he was found "dehydrated." None of these statements have been supported so far by medical or official information.
A testimony published by Solan Tamayo provided further details about the hours leading up to the death. The woman claimed that around 11:00 PM, she saw a young man having a seizure just a few blocks from the clinic at Reina and Gervasio, in Havana.
According to his account, several people witnessed the situation but did not intervene because they thought it was something routine. Tamayo stated that later he passed by the polyclinic with his mother and found numerous people gathered there and a person covered up. The woman herself, however, admitted that she could not see the person's face, so her testimony does not independently confirm that it was René.
The publications do not completely agree on the fate of the remains. While Carapachibey Pinero indicated that his body would rest in Havana, where he lived, Dani Darien Infante later stated in the comments that he would be cremated and taken to Isla de la Juventud.
Amidst these still incomplete reports, one thing does appear consistently across nearly all the publications: the impact that Renecito's death has had on those who knew him in Isla de la Juventud. Friends, former schoolmates, neighbors, and family members have filled social media with photographs and farewell messages for a young man whose death many initially found hard to believe.
Filed under: