Mercedes Roque, the mother of the late recruit Antonio Rassi Roque, who tragically died nearly a year ago during his Mandatory Military Service (SMO) in Cuba, expressed her outrage this Thursday. She revealed that prosecutor Velázquez from the Regional Prosecutor's Office summoned her to announce the provisional dismissal of her son's case. This legal maneuver effectively suspends and temporarily archives the case due to insufficient evidence to continue the investigation.
Antonio was only 18 years old when he passed away on August 18, 2025, at the Military Unit 5050, notoriously referred to as "El Calvario," located in Havana.
While the official report labeled his death a suicide, Mercedes firmly disputes this conclusion, attributing his death to negligence and harassment by the unit's officers.
In a heartbreaking statement, Mercedes Roque criticized the Cuban judicial system's handling of the matter, emphasizing, "There's no cause to pursue the case because the deceased was just a mere recruit. But had my son shot First Lieutenant Aldo Fabregas Ardiles, a political officer at 5050 and directly responsible for Rassi Roque's death, then the judge would have had a clear case to prosecute."
Mercedes directly implicates First Lieutenant Aldo Fabregas Ardiles as the primary figure accountable for her son's death, alongside Captain Ricardo Martínez, who was also involved. Neither officer has faced any legal consequences.
The provisional dismissal, as outlined in Article 423 of Cuba's Penal Process Law 143, effective since 2022, allows for a case to be temporarily shelved without a verdict and without the judge addressing the core issues. Although the case can technically be reopened if new evidence surfaces, there is no specified timeline for this to occur.
To Mercedes Roque, this resolution represents absolute impunity. "The death of a recruit is not significant; it's just another statistic. But an officer's death certainly is," she remarked, following ten months of futile attempts to seek justice from military and judicial authorities.
Her relentless pursuit for answers has been documented over nearly a year. Despite her efforts, she was ignored during visits to the military unit on August 15 and 24, 2025, and on September 30, she was only met by a commission not directly connected to the incident.
In November 2025, she met with the head of the Western Army and the Military Prosecutor's Office, who assured her of "complete transparency." Yet, the case was still closed.
This incident reflects a broader issue. According to Cubalex, at least 19 recruits died during the SMO in 2025, with a total of 78 deaths since 2019 under mysterious or neglectful circumstances.
Between July and August 2025 alone, at least seven young men lost their lives while serving.
Rather than reform the institution, the regime issued Decree 103/2024 in October 2024, intensifying penalties for noncompliance with the SMO, including fines ranging from 2,500 to 7,000 pesos and criminal charges for individuals over 16 years old.
Other mothers have faced similar heart-wrenching ordeals. In January 2026, a mother reported that an officer shot her son during service, resulting in the son's arrest while the officer remained free.
Similarly, in March 2026, another 19-year-old died during military service in Havana, adding to the disturbing pattern of impunity.
"It's a sickening system where we mothers who have lost a child in the SMO must support each other, knowing we'll never attain justice," Mercedes Roque lamented in her post on Thursday.
Understanding the Plight of Cuban Military Recruits
What is the current status of the case involving Antonio Rassi Roque?
The case has been provisionally dismissed, meaning it is suspended and archived temporarily due to insufficient evidence. However, it can be reopened if new evidence comes to light.
Who has been implicated in the death of Antonio Rassi Roque?
First Lieutenant Aldo Fabregas Ardiles and Captain Ricardo Martínez have been named by Mercedes Roque as responsible for her son's death, but neither has faced legal action.
What broader trend does the case of Antonio Rassi Roque reflect?
The case is part of a larger pattern of recruit deaths during the SMO in Cuba, with reports of at least 78 deaths since 2019 occurring under questionable circumstances.