Nurse dies after remaining in critical condition following an attack for asking to have a child vaccinated in Cienfuegos

Maribel Pupo, a licensed nurse from Cumanayagua, a municipality in the province of Cienfuegos, passed away on Monday from the injuries sustained in an assault by a man whom she was urging to take his son for vaccination, in fulfillment of her professional duties.

The General Directorate of Health of Cumanayagua confirmed the passing in a social media post: "From the General Directorate of Health, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, daughters, and husband of Nursing Licentiate Maribel Pupo following her passing this Monday."

According to accounts from neighbors, colleagues, and patients in the comments on the posts, Maribel Pupo worked in a family doctor's office and was responsible for monitoring childhood vaccination schedules in her area. The aggression reportedly occurred when she insisted to a child's father that he take his son to receive his vaccinations. Several commenters identified a young man as the alleged attacker.

The platform NiO Reportando Un Crimen, which had already reported the aggression, also informed of the death. According to their report, the attack took place on October 29, after the nurse had urged a couple to take their child to receive a pending vaccination.

NiO stated that Maribel received a blow that caused her to fall and sustain serious head injuries. She underwent surgery in Cienfuegos and remained in critical condition until her passing. The platform identified her as a licensed nurse in the Vaccination department of the Aracelio Rodríguez Teaching Hospital.

The health department confirmed the death, but did not explain the circumstances of the attack nor provided any information about the investigation.

The journalist and radio host from Cienfuegos, Alexis Alejandro Abril Lariño documented and shared the case on his social media, including images of the honor guard that the nursing guild of Cumanayagua paid to their colleague at the local funeral home.

The Cumanayagua community responded with thousands of messages of condolence and outrage. A colleague described her as "a magnificent nurse, a great professional, and above all, an exceptional person. A lifetime dedicated to her vocation, caring for others with commitment and humanity."

The case sparked a debate about the policy that requires Cuban healthcare workers to "persuade" parents to vaccinate their children, without legal backing or institutional protection. A Cuban doctor summarized it on social media like this: "How long will Public Health continue to allow anyone to trample on its professionals who are currently facing situations without resources or proper conditions?"

The death of Maribel Pupo adds to a series of attacks against health personnel in Cuba that has intensified in recent months. In August 2026, obstetrician Yanelkys Alonso Valdés was murdered in her home in Güines. In June, a intensive care doctor was attacked in Cárdenas, Matanzas. And in December 2025, nurse Rosa Idania Ferrer Pérez was murdered in Palmira, also in the province of Cienfuegos.

"Our town mourns the death of one of its noblest daughters," wrote a resident of Cumanayagua, summarizing the sentiment of a community that demands justice and exemplary penalties for the attacker.