A group of seven women and 12 men from Cuba have gone missing somewhere along the western coast between the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque, following what is believed to be an illegal departure, according to the platform YoSíTeCreo en Cuba.
Melisa Odaisi Peraza, a young woman from Matanzas who had been reported missing for 20 days, is among those unaccounted for. The group’s current whereabouts remain unknown, whether along the north or south coast of western Cuba, the organization explained on Facebook.
According to the report, Peraza contacted her family in Cárdenas to inform them about the group of Cubans. However, neither she nor anyone in the group could send their geolocation due to limited coverage and battery life. They have little water left and lost contact at 3:12 PM, Cuban time, noted YoSíTeCreo.
“We urge the authorities to mobilize immediately to find them,” requested the platform.
On Sunday, an individual named Anayansi Carmona wrote in the Facebook group “Se busca familiares de balseros cubanos desaparecidos en el mar” that “recently, friends who couldn’t achieve their dreams went missing at sea.” However, the post did not provide details about this departure or confirm if it involved the same group of Cubans.
Independent activist and journalist Marta María Ramírez revealed on Saturday via her Facebook wall that Peraza, one of the missing group members, left her home in Cárdenas on May 14th to travel to Havana to meet a man she had met online.
“On May 27th, after days of unsuccessful attempts to contact her and after a known person saw her from a distance on Ayestarán Street in Havana, walking with two young men, the family filed a report with the Cárdenas police,” she detailed.
Details Surrounding the Disappearance of 19 Cubans
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the recent disappearance of 19 Cubans following an alleged illegal departure from the western coast of Cuba.
Who are the missing individuals?
The missing group consists of seven women and 12 men from Cuba, including Melisa Odaisi Peraza, a young woman from Matanzas.
Where were they last reported to be?
They were last reported to be somewhere along the western coast of Cuba, between the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque.
What efforts are being made to locate them?
YoSíTeCreo en Cuba has urged the authorities to mobilize immediately to locate the missing individuals.
What was the last communication from the group?
The last communication was from Melisa Odaisi Peraza, who informed her family in Cárdenas about the group. They lost contact at 3:12 PM, Cuban time, due to limited coverage and battery life.