The Toll of Mandatory Military Service in Cuba: A Study of Youth Deaths
CubaNet reveals 31 cases of young Cubans who died during mandatory military service, highlighting systemic issues
By Claudia Padron Cueto | cubanet.org
Jonathan Fernández’s tragic death on July 29, 2022, is one of the many harrowing stories emerging from Cuba’s mandatory military service. At 10:30 PM, after offering 2,000 pesos to other recruits to shoot him, he took his own life. His mother, Yeni Acanda, remains in despair, questioning what drove her son to such a desperate act following a reprimand for hiding a cellphone.
Jonathan was stationed at a unit in San José de las Lajas, fulfilling the obligatory 24-month military service for men aged 17 to 28 under Cuban law. University-bound recruits see their service term halved. Despite a Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs official’s claims of voluntary enlistment before the UN, the mandatory nature of military service has never been contested in Cuba. The 2019 Constitution further ensures there is no alternative, even for those citing religious or moral objections, with severe punishments for non-compliance.
The Cuban government does not provide information on the fatalities during military service. However, CubaNet has compiled a database identifying 31 cases of young Cubans who never returned home. This list, assembled using media reports and interviews with families, highlights a distressing pattern of deaths.
The leading cause of death among the documented cases is suicide, accounting for 10 incidents. These suicides underscore the psychological toll of the military environment, where reports of bullying, depression, and mistreatment are common. For example, Maikol Arcia, who had intellectual disabilities, expressed suicidal thoughts but received no psychological support, leading to his self-inflicted death. The Cuban government’s response to such incidents has been punitive, often resulting in imprisonment for self-harm as a means of seeking discharge.
Some deaths initially reported as suicides have raised suspicions among families, suggesting possible cover-ups for murders. Elvis Martínez’s family, for instance, doubts the official account of his double gunshot suicide in a tank unit in Camagüey due to inconsistencies in the reported scene of his death.
Natural death reports have also been questioned. Ariel Díaz Cardero’s family received conflicting accounts of his death, ultimately being told he succumbed to myocarditis following intense physical exertion during service. The inability to verify the condition of Ariel’s body fuels their skepticism.
Accidents constitute another significant portion of the deaths, with seven cases identified. Among them is Ernesto Miranda, who allegedly died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot. The documented murders, numbering six, add further gravity to the findings.
CubaNet’s database, albeit limited, sheds light on these tragic occurrences, demanding transparency and accountability from the Cuban government regarding the welfare and safety of its young conscripts.
Read the full article in English on cubanet.org, using Google Translate.