Dairon Calderín, 41 years old, husband of Jenni M. Taboada, mother of the political prisoner from the 11J protests Duannis Dabel León Taboada, passed away this Wednesday in Havana after spending more than eight days hospitalized at the Salvador Allende Clinical Surgical Hospital, known as La Covadonga.
The activists Anamely Ramos González and Tania Tasé reported on social media that the man passed away after a gradual deterioration of health, without timely medical attention that he needed.
According to their testimonies, Dairon walked into the hospital, although he had a hemoglobin level of just five grams per deciliter. In the following days, that figure would drop to three, while he experienced loss of consciousness, black vomiting, and severe respiratory difficulties.
Despite his condition, his family reported that the medical staff was resistant to transferring him to intensive care.
Anamely Ramos recounted that, just hours before his passing, a doctor assured Jenni that her husband "only has that," referring to the low hemoglobin, and that he did not need to be admitted to intensive care.
Desperate about her husband's situation, Jenni conducted several live broadcasts from the hospital during the early hours, demanding that those responsible for attending to him and administering blood be located.
“Search right now for whoever you need to find. Look for whoever needs to provide blood for my husband,” she demanded in one of the recordings, according to the testimonies that were released.
The activist Tania Tasé reported from Berlin that Dairon was moved to intensive care only after public outcry, when his condition was already critical.
"They have let my friend Dairon Calderín die. Only after Jenni M. Taboada's live broadcast and my previous post did they take him to intensive care. Too late, too late, LATEEEE," he wrote.
So far, no medical report has been made public that establishes the exact cause of death, nor has there been a response from the hospital administration to the allegations.
For Jenni Taboada, the loss of her husband adds to years of suffering due to the , sentenced to 14 years in prison for participating in the anti-government protests on July 11, 2021.
In January 2026, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures to Jenni and her son, considering that they faced serious risks to their lives and integrity. In April, the mother reported that she had been unable to see Duannis for three months.
The death of Dairon occurs as the Cuban government itself acknowledges serious deficiencies in the country's hospitals, including issues with the supply of medications, medical equipment, reagents, and other essential resources for healthcare.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, recently acknowledged that these shortcomings impact the quality of services and lead to dissatisfaction among patients.
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