On Monday, Miguel Díaz-Canel issued Presidential Decree 1251, declaring an official period of mourning in Cuba for the passing of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who died on Sunday at 74 in Doha.
According to Granma, Cuban flags were ordered to fly at half-staff for nearly 48 hours—from 6:00 AM on Monday, July 13, until the end of Tuesday, July 14—across all public buildings and military institutions on the island.
This decision starkly highlights the regime's priorities: while paying tribute to the Qatari monarch, more than 4,500 lives were lost in Venezuela due to two catastrophic earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, which struck on June 24. Yet, Díaz-Canel did not declare a single hour of official mourning for these victims.
As of July 14, the Venezuelan government confirmed 4,561 deaths, including 71 new fatalities compared to the previous day. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that there is a 42% probability of the real death toll being between 10,000 and 100,000. The United Nations reported up to 50,000 missing and over 6.76 million affected in total.
Among the victims are Cuban nationals. Independent media and citizen platforms have confirmed at least nine Cuban deaths, including a family of six found beneath the rubble of the Oasis Beach and Resjurel buildings in La Guaira. However, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially acknowledged only two deaths.
The regime's response has faced severe criticism.
On June 27, three days after the tragedy, Ana Teresita González Fraga, the Director of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declared that Cuba had "no official confirmation of compatriots injured, deceased, or missing," contradicting citizen reports citing specific names and locations.
Just two days later, the Ministry acknowledged the first confirmed death—Lupercio Adrian D'Pérez and Pando, a resident of Caraballeda since 2021—and provided contact numbers in Cuba and at the Consulate in Venezuela.
Affected families have complained about consular neglect and lack of information on the repatriation of the deceased.
On June 28, Díaz-Canel claimed to be in "permanent contact with Venezuelan authorities," though the regime publicly prioritized the safety of its 12,930 health collaborators, overlooking the plight of Cuban citizens residing in the devastated areas.
Economic Interests Behind Mourning Decisions
The regime's logic becomes even more revealing when comparing mourning periods.
The official mourning decreed for Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, a historical commander of the revolution and founder of the repressive MININT apparatus, who died on June 21 at the age of 94, lasted less than 24 hours. In contrast, Díaz-Canel granted the Qatari monarch twice as many hours of mourning, while no official mourning was declared for the thousands who perished in Venezuela.
The underlying reason is economic. The Cuban Hospital in Dukhan, inaugurated on January 10, 2012, with Sheikh Hamad in attendance, operates with approximately 400 Cuban healthcare professionals. Qatar compensates the Cuban government for their services—not the doctors directly—with the regime retaining up to 90% of their salaries.
Medical cooperation between the two nations intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cuba sent 229 healthcare workers to Qatar in April 2020 and a third contingent of 156 specialists in March 2021, while the Henry Reeve brigade treated over 270,000 patients in Qatar from 2020 to 2022.
All these deployments of medical staff—under exploitative labor conditions—contrast with the shortage of personnel in Cuba's increasingly deteriorating healthcare institutions.
In November 2025, both governments reaffirmed their commitment to expand cooperation in biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry, and medical universities.
Granma described the former Emir as a "dear friend of Cuba" and highlighted his "special affection" for the island and his friendship with Fidel Castro. Díaz-Canel, on social media platform X, referred to him as an "outstanding statesman" and claimed that "Cuba shares the grief of the Qatari people."
In contrast, the Cuban people did not receive such a gesture of official solidarity when their compatriots were buried under the rubble in Venezuela, a country touted by the regime as its closest strategic ally, where it maintains a brigade of roughly 12,930 medical collaborators distributed across the country's 24 states.
Impact of Cuba's Response to International Crises
Why did Cuba declare mourning for the former Emir of Qatar?
Cuba declared mourning for the former Emir of Qatar to honor an economic ally whose relationship includes significant medical cooperation and financial arrangements beneficial to the Cuban government.
How did Cuba respond to the earthquake in Venezuela?
Cuba's response to the earthquake in Venezuela has been criticized for its lack of official mourning and inadequate support for Cuban citizens affected, with the regime prioritizing its health collaborators' safety over other citizens.
What is the significance of medical collaboration between Cuba and Qatar?
The medical collaboration between Cuba and Qatar is significant due to the economic benefits it provides to the Cuban government, which retains a large portion of the salaries paid by Qatar for Cuban medical services.