Cuban Authorities Silent on Actor Carlos Massola's Death

The death of actor Carlos Massola, who had frequently spoken out against the Cuban government in recent years, has been completely ignored by cultural authorities. To date, no Cuban cultural institution has acknowledged his passing on their social media platforms.

Neither the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), the Ministry of Culture (MINCULT), the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT), nor the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) have commented on the actor's death. The cultural news programs on television and the printed press have also remained silent.

This institutional silence is mirrored by the few artists residing in Cuba who have expressed their condolences on social media, such as Alejandro Cuervo, Blanca Rosa Blanco, and Ulises Toirac. It was reported on Thursday that the actor's remains were cremated as per his wishes, according to CubaNet, citing family sources.

After a seven-hour wait for the funeral car, around four in the afternoon on Wednesday, the actor's body was removed from his home in the Cerro municipality with the help of firefighters and transported to the Bernardo García funeral home on Zanja Street. Fabio Corchado Borroto, a close friend of the actor, told the cited media that upon arriving at the funeral home, they were initially told the coffin couldn't be cremated because it was too large. However, the funeral home's chief later stated that the cremation could proceed, acknowledging the initial decision as a mistake.

The popular actor passed away at home in the early hours of July 3. Around 9:00 AM, a family doctor who visited the residence confirmed that Massola died of hypovolemic shock. This condition, defined as "an emergency situation where severe blood or fluid loss prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to the body," can cause multiple organ failures.

The actor's ashes are to be collected at noon on Thursday in Berroa, in the Habana del Este municipality.

Carlos Massola: A Vocal Critic of the Cuban Regime

In recent years, Massola did not hesitate to criticize the government, accusing it of inefficiency, corruption, and incompetence. He highlighted the indifference of its officials, the violations of human rights, and the repression of freedoms in Cuba.

In March of this year, Massola expressed his support for the protesters in Santiago de Cuba who took to the streets demanding freedom and basic human rights.

In an exclusive interview with CubaNet, Massola stood alongside Cubans who were "tired of so much ignominy, so much shit, and so much misery," declaring, "This dictatorship cannot last beyond this year."

Consistently outspoken against the regime, the actor reiterated in his statements that there is "a lot of corruption" in Cuba and that all the leaders are corrupt, which is why the people are starting to react.

In December, after watching the film Plantadas, inspired by the story of women who were imprisoned for opposing Fidel Castro's regime, Massola asserted that one day the Cuban dictatorship "will fall."

Months earlier, he had made harsh statements against Cuban artists he considered "accomplices of the dictatorship." He said that many Cuban actors and musicians "walk the red carpet" of the regime, believing it will make them popular, but all they achieve is "supporting the prevailing dictatorship" in the country.

Due to his constant criticisms of the reality in Cuba and strong denunciations against the regime, Massola was censored and ostracized, even by his cousin, the popular presenter and actress Edith Massola.