In the aftermath of the chaos and destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba, a powerful voice has emerged from Santiago: that of Yurisleidis Remedios, a mother who took to social media to denounce the government's complete neglect in the face of the humanitarian crisis gripping the eastern provinces.
"We're starving to death," Remedios declared in a video posted on Facebook, where she fiercely criticized Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife, Lis Cuesta, for their indifference towards the people's suffering.
Visibly outraged, she stated, "We have a worthless president who doesn't care if children or the elderly die of hunger. More people are dying here than during COVID."
Community Efforts Amid Government Inaction
Living in the Altamira neighborhood of Santiago, Remedios reported that after the cyclone left entire communities flooded and homes destroyed, no real assistance has been provided by the authorities.
Instead, it is the artists and local volunteers who are attempting to help the victims, while the government "sits idly by."
"Our shameless president is just sitting back, watching as actors and other countries do the job he's supposed to do," Yurisleidis remarked.
She praised the actors in Holguín for their "beautiful gesture" of bringing food to those truly devastated, left without homes or possessions. "They are real heroes," she emphasized.
Dire Health Crisis and Collapsed Morgues
Remedios described the dire situation in Santiago de Cuba hospitals, where "the morgues are overwhelmed," with more than 60 people dying daily from diseases worsened by inadequate medical care and poor sanitary conditions.
"It's ten o'clock, one, two in the morning, and they're burying the dead straight from the hospital to the cemetery. People are dying of hunger and disease, and Díaz-Canel doesn't give a damn," she criticized.
She painted a desperate picture of life without electricity or gas: families cooking with firewood, asthmatic children exposed to smoke, food spoiling due to lack of refrigeration, and the whereabouts of international donations unknown.
"Where are the donations that were given for the eastern part of the country?" she questioned.
According to her account, the official distribution amounted to "a pound of chicken and a pound of ground meat per person," insufficient for even a day. "You have to eat it immediately, because the next day it's spoiled," she lamented.
Demand for Leadership with Integrity
Frustrated by what she sees as an absent and privileged leadership, Remedios sent a direct message to the Cuban leader:
"Send food to Santiago, send gas. Don't be so shameless, don't pocket the dollars. You don't care about anything, you live a life of privilege, like a king, while your people grow poorer by the day, sinking into misery."
She even compared Díaz-Canel's governance to that of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, whom she described as a leader with "dignity and concern for his people."
"We need someone like Bukele, not a president who doesn't even respect himself," she asserted.
A Persistent Voice Against Misery
This is not the first time this mother of triplets has publicly confronted the regime.
In 2022, her case went viral when she reported having to cook with firewood due to the lack of liquefied gas, despite her health issues and living with three young children.
"Enduring, this misery is continuity," she wrote at the time, posting photos of her improvised stove beneath her building.
After weeks of complaints, the authorities provided her with a gas cylinder and a worn-out mattress, which she considered an insult.
At that time, she declared she was leaving social media due to the backlash and insults she received, being labeled "ungrateful" and "counterrevolutionary."
"I'm not a worm or an opponent, just a mother asking for gas to cook for my children," she clarified.
Today, her voice rises again—with more anger and desperation—amid a crisis the government seems neither capable nor willing to address.
In Santiago de Cuba, as in other eastern provinces, Hurricane Melissa left hundreds of families without roofs or belongings, and while many survived, the material losses are devastating.
Without resources, decent wages, and with an absent state, the victims face the disaster almost entirely on their own.
"We want freedom, we want a better country. We don't want to keep dying of hunger," concluded Yurisleidis Remedios in her video, now a symbol of a people's growing discontent no longer afraid to speak out.
Understanding the Crisis in Eastern Cuba
What prompted Yurisleidis Remedios to speak out?
Yurisleidis Remedios spoke out due to the severe neglect by the government in addressing the humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Melissa. She highlighted issues like starvation, lack of medical care, and inadequate aid distribution.
What are the main criticisms against Miguel Díaz-Canel?
Critics, including Yurisleidis Remedios, accuse Miguel Díaz-Canel of being indifferent to the suffering of the Cuban people, failing to provide necessary aid, and living a life of privilege while the population endures poverty and hunger.
How are local communities responding to the crisis?
Local communities, including artists and volunteers, have stepped in to provide aid and support to those affected by the hurricane, filling the gap left by the government's inaction.