Cuban authorities informed relatives of the 13 military personnel who died in the explosion at the Melones Military Unit in Holguín this Thursday that they had located human remains inside the tunnel of the facility, according to a report by elTOQUE.
The notification arrived more than two months after the families received initial communication about the finding of remains at the military facility, and they have yet to receive the bodies of their loved ones.
The tragedy occurred on January 7, 2025, when an explosion and fire at a military armaments storage facility trapped 13 men: four career officers and non-commissioned officers, along with nine young men who were fulfilling their Mandatory Military Service.
Nine days later, the Cuban regime officially declared them deceased, arguing that the high temperatures, gas accumulation, and the risk of collapses were preventing the recovery of the bodies.
During the home visits, military officials showed family members photographs of the inside of the tunnel and of bone fragments that they claimed belonged to the victims. Additionally, they requested permission to conduct a joint cremation of the remains.
However, several families rejected the official explanation and questioned the evidence presented.
Daliha González Almaguer, sister of Frank Antonio Hidalgo Almaguer —one of the nine recruits who died— stated that one of the images showed only small bone fragments that, according to the authorities' explanation, could not be identified through DNA nor did they allow for determining which part of the body they belonged to.
Despite those limitations, the officials asserted that the remains belonged to the 13 servicemen.
González Almaguer also questioned the origin of the photographs provided to the families.
“Why didn't they take the photo at the location where they were found?” she asked, as reported by elTOQUE. The family member pointed out that the images showed tanks and other objects inside the tunnel, but did not allow for locating the remains at the exact site of the discovery.
Julio César Guerrero, father of José Carlos Guerrero García, another of the victims, criticized the explanation given by the authorities.
"They did give us a response, but as always, it was a poorly rehearsed performance filled with lies and unbelievable images," he stated.
Guerrero stated that, until there is a clear identification of the remains, for him his son remains missing.
"For me, they are still missing," he declared.
The discovery occurred after a group of civilians unlawfully entered the military facility in July of this year and found decomposing bodies while searching for abandoned weapons and materials. The participants were arrested and remain in custody.
The incident raised questions about the official version that the location was inaccessible and reopened doubts among the families about why the remains had not been recovered for over a year.
The case adds to other reports of deaths of young people during Mandatory Military Service. The Cuban Observatory for Citizen Audit recorded at least 97 deaths or disappearances of young people linked to military service between 2001 and 2026, while Cubalex documented at least 78 deaths of recruits since 2019.
More than a year after the explosion in Melones, the families of the 13 military personnel continue to demand information and clarity regarding the final fate of their loved ones.
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