Mother Seeks Justice: Cuban Woman Faces Silence Nine Months After Son's Death in Military Service

For nine months, Mercedes Roque has been tirelessly seeking justice for her son, Antonio Rassi Roque, who tragically died at the age of 18 on August 18, 2025, while serving in the Mandatory Military Service at Military Unit 5050, infamously known as "El Calvario," in Havana. Despite her persistent demands, the Cuban military authorities have remained silent.

In a recent public statement, Roque expressed her ongoing grief: "Son, it's been nine months since you left, yet it feels like just yesterday. Life goes on, but it hurts so much that you're not here. Rest in peace, my dear Antonio."

Roque highlighted that over three months have passed since she last visited the military unit, yet she has received no updates: "No one has reached out to me since then. They have no interest in calling or providing any conclusions about the case."

She has consistently accused the First Political Lieutenant of Unit 5050, Aldo Fabregas Ardiles, of being responsible for her son's death, a claim she has reiterated in every public denunciation since August 2025.

The official version given to the family was that Antonio took his own life, a narrative that Roque fervently disputes, insisting that negligence and harassment within the unit led to his death.

Previously, she also implicated Captain Ricardo Martínez in the environment surrounding her son's death and has vowed repeatedly that she "will never tire of raising her voice" until justice is served.

In her latest denunciation, Mercedes Roque described her son as "just another statistic in the bloody history of Mandatory Military Service in Cuba," turning Antonio’s case into a broader indictment of the institution.

Antonio's tragedy is not an isolated incident.

According to Cubalex, at least 19 young men died during military service in 2025 alone, with a total of 78 such deaths reported since 2019 under circumstances often described as opaque or negligent.

Between July and August 2025, independent media reported at least seven deaths of young men serving in the military.

In January 2026, another mother reported that an officer shot her son during service, resulting in the son's arrest while the officer remained free.

In March 2026, a 19-year-old recruit died during service in Havana, adding to a pattern of impunity the Cuban authorities refuse to acknowledge.

Instead of reforming the institution, the regime passed Decree 103/2024 in October 2024, increasing penalties for failing to comply with military service, with fines ranging from 2,500 to 7,000 pesos and criminal consequences for those over 16.

"My son was disposable," wrote Mercedes Roque in February, capturing the alleged disregard with which the Cuban Armed Forces treat young people who die in their care.