As Cuba grapples with one of the most severe healthcare crises in its recent history, the silence of José Ángel Portal Miranda, the Minister of Public Health, is deafening. Hospitals are overwhelmed, pharmacies stand empty, and outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche are rampant across the nation, yet the minister remains conspicuously absent from the public eye.
Despite the escalating emergency, there have been no press conferences, public appearances, or transparent explanations. The figure responsible for the health of over 11 million Cubans has vanished from the information landscape precisely when clarity is most needed.
The Missing Minister
In a democratic country, a leader in Portal Miranda's position would be actively communicating, providing updates, solutions, and evaluations. However, in Cuba, the Health Minister appears to be hiding behind sparse epidemiological reports that offer minimal information.
Despite admitting to the National Assembly in July that the healthcare system faces an "unprecedented structural crisis," Portal Miranda has chosen to remain silent, as if neglect might be a strategy.
Meanwhile, deputy ministers and provincial directors have been the ones addressing the public regarding the expansion of dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche. Vice Minister Carilda Peña García acknowledged active transmission in nearly all provinces, while Dr. Francisco Durán, national director of Epidemiology, has taken on the role of crisis spokesperson.
But there is no word from Portal Miranda himself: not a single public appearance, interview, or explanation. His silence speaks volumes about the political and moral paralysis that characterizes the country's health leadership.
Denial Amid Disaster
The last time Portal Miranda made a public statement was in mid-October, where he downplayed the dengue outbreak, claiming the situation was under control. He assured during a meeting in Matanzas that no deaths had occurred from dengue or chikungunya, contradicting reports of fatalities, healthcare collapse, and rising fevers.
He dismissed talk of deaths as "rumors," claiming the circulating diseases were neither new nor rare. Since then, infections have surged, hospitals are overburdened, and citizen complaints are rampant. Physicians lack reagents, children are hospitalized in hallways, and people stand in endless lines for painkillers or injections.
The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) releases vague statements and incomplete statistics. The actual number of sick and deceased remains unknown, along with the hardest-hit areas.
Vector-Borne Crisis
The current health emergency has a name: the mosquito. What were once isolated dengue outbreaks have now evolved into a dangerous mix of combined arboviral infections—dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche—overwhelming hospitals and challenging health services.
Experts warn that co-infection with multiple viruses worsens the clinical picture and increases the risk of fatal complications, especially among children and the elderly.
However, the official response remains the same: empty speeches about "focus control" and calls for "individual responsibility." The state, once proud of its "medical prowess," now tasks citizens with mosquito control, while garbage accumulates and fumigation teams lack fuel and insecticides.
An Unresponsive System
Portal Miranda's silence is not just a political failure; it's morally unacceptable. In a nation where health authorities control all data and resources, his absence denies citizens their right to information.
Where is the public report with the actual infection numbers? What budget has been allocated for fumigation, epidemiological monitoring, and medication purchases? What measures are being implemented in the hardest-hit areas? No one knows.
The minister should be explaining why pharmacies lack drugs, fumigation supplies are absent, hospitals are without mosquito nets, homes are without repellents, diagnoses take weeks, and doctors work without essential materials. Yet, he remains silent.
Instead, the regime recycles the same script: blame the "American blockade," cite "adverse weather conditions," and appeal to the "people's resilience."
Political Continuity of Inaction
The question many ask goes beyond the minister: why does Miguel Díaz-Canel keep him in office?
The answer lies in politics. Portal Miranda embodies obedience, not competence. His continued presence confirms that Cuba's health system is managed not as a citizen right but as a resource for foreign currency, propaganda, and control.
Public health has become an empty display for Cubans and a lucrative business for the regime's elite: while doctors and vaccines are exported, the people fall ill without care.
Díaz-Canel recently urged addressing arboviral diseases as COVID-19 was tackled. But during the pandemic, his government hid statistics, persecuted critical doctors, and manipulated data to project success.
The same tactics are now in play: downplay severity, censor independent media, and maintain a "controlled situation" narrative that no one believes.
Urgency for Transparency and Accountability
Cuba urgently needs transparency. MINSAP must provide detailed epidemiological reports, province by province, with real figures on cases, deaths, and resources. It must answer to citizens and the medical community, not the Communist Party. Opacity kills. Each day without information increases the victim count.
A public audit of healthcare spending is also crucial. How much is spent on vector control? On medical tourism? On propaganda? Accountability shouldn't be a privilege of free nations; it's a moral duty of any government, especially one that boasts of humanitarianism.
José Ángel Portal Miranda and Miguel Díaz-Canel must answer for this catastrophe. They cannot continue hiding behind the embargo rhetoric while children die from lack of reagents and drugs, the elderly suffer without treatment, and Cuba's public health system collapses.
International Humanitarian Intervention?
The scale of the disaster prompts a difficult question: is it time to seek international humanitarian intervention?
When a country cannot ensure basic sanitary conditions, when epidemics spread unchecked, and the state lacks the capability—or will—to respond, the international community must act. This is not about politics; it's about human lives.
Organizations like the Pan American Health Organization, the Red Cross, or the World Health Organization should urgently assess Cuba's epidemiological situation. If the regime refuses independent inspection, its silence will be proof of culpability.
Cuba cannot continue to perish in darkness.
Cubans deserve to know the truth, deserve care, deserve to live.
If their authorities cannot protect them, the world has a moral obligation to do so.
Understanding Cuba's Healthcare Crisis
What diseases are currently affecting Cuba?
Cuba is currently battling outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche, leading to a severe healthcare crisis.
Why is there a lack of medical supplies in Cuba?
Only 30% of the basic medication list is available, leading to shortages. The lack of resources is compounded by economic constraints and the regime's focus on other areas.
What role does José Ángel Portal Miranda play in this crisis?
As Cuba's Health Minister, José Ángel Portal Miranda is responsible for overseeing the country's public health system. His absence and lack of communication during the crisis have been heavily criticized.
Is there a call for international intervention in Cuba?
Due to the unmanaged health crisis, there's a suggestion that international bodies like the World Health Organization should assess the situation and possibly intervene.