The Cuban broadcaster Rolando Zaldívar has once again distanced himself from the possibility of recovery: last Saturday, he voluntarily left the rehabilitation center where he had entered just days before, marking his third exit from such a program, as reported by the community project Conducta Dade through its social media.
"We are very saddened to inform that Rolando Zaldívar has left, for the third time, a rehabilitation program," wrote the organization, which had successfully admitted him on October 16 to a center located outside of Miami, away from the environment he has lived in for years.
Conducta Dade had waited 48 hours before making the second admission public, specifically to confirm that Zaldívar remained in the program. The announcement of the new attempt came with a warning: "We are not celebrating a recovery that has not yet happened. We are celebrating that Rolando has taken an important step. Now it depends on him to take advantage of this opportunity." Just five days later, the host decided to leave.
In the video released after the departure, Zaldívar himself appears discussing his physical exhaustion without fully acknowledging the seriousness of his situation. He mentions having 7 of hemoglobin and suffering from chronic anemia, and talks about immediate plans such as riding a bike, without referring to the treatment he has just discontinued.
Conducta Dade acknowledged reaching an emotional and operational limit: "We have done everything within our power to help him, support him, and provide him with new opportunities. But there comes a time when the decision is no longer in our hands." The phrase that encapsulates their stance is clear: "Help can open doors, but it is Rolando who must decide to walk through them."
This third abandonment marks the most recent point in a story that has unfolded over nearly a year. Zaldívar was arrested in Miami in November 2025 for petty theft and possession of cocaine, with a bail set at only 150 dollars. The release of his mugshot, in which he appeared visibly deteriorated, touched the Cuban community. In February 2026, he publicly acknowledged his addiction, admitting to using substances for "about a year and a little bit."
The first admission to a rehabilitation center ended in abandonment in April 2026. Months later, in August, he was found again on the streets of Miami in a state of extreme physical exhaustion, at which point he uttered a phrase that summed up his situation: "For all the people, including myself, dreams were shattered."
Zaldívar was one of the most recognized voices in Cuban radio during the 1990s, especially for his work on "Disco Fiesta 98" at Radio Ciudad de La Habana. After emigrating from Cuba, he lived in Mexico and Houston before settling in Miami in 2014, where addiction gradually distanced him from the media and the life he once knew.
Conducta Dade, a project founded in Miami in October 2024 to assist homeless individuals—particularly focusing on Cuban migrants affected by addictions—has been the primary driving force behind the speaker's recovery efforts. Despite the recent setback, the organization remains optimistic: “From Conducta, we will continue to wish him the best. Because helping also means understanding that we cannot make the decision to recover for someone else.”
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