A young Cuban man, who went missing while fulfilling his Mandatory Military Service (SMO), was tragically discovered dead a week later. Nesky Gabriel Escalona Ortíz, 19, was a resident of the Habana del Este municipality and was serving in a military unit situated in Santa Cruz del Norte.
The Facebook page La Tijera reported that recruits in this unit are frequently mistreated by officers and are mostly there against their will. "It's heartbreaking that young lives continue to be lost due to the senseless Mandatory Military Service, which steals their best years and, instead of shaping them, destroys them," the page commented.
Mairelis Guerra Escalona, the deceased soldier's cousin, disclosed the harrowing condition in which his body was found—nearly ravaged by scavenging birds. She expressed her frustration on Facebook, saying, "Thanks to the tank unit in Santa Cruz, but this must not go unpunished; those responsible need to be held accountable."
She further criticized the regime, stating, "This is how the Castro government operates, forcing young men into mandatory service only to kill and make them disappear. Down with Díaz-Canel, down with the abuse against Cuban youth and prisoners."