Cardboard Coffins Used for Burials in Santiago de Cuba

Relatives of an elderly man who passed away in Santiago de Cuba faced a distressing experience when they discovered that his coffin was made of cardboard. A video shared on Facebook by journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada highlights the situation at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, where grieving families face additional anguish due to the negligence and poor service of the Comunales company.

The footage reveals a man inside a box, with its fabric lining poorly sewn, tearing at the corners to reveal the cardboard beneath. "Cardboard boxes, what a terrible thing," exclaimed a woman in the background. Workers lowered the coffin cautiously, fearing it might completely fall apart. "They're stealing all the wood and even the nails," an outraged relative added.

Numerous online users commented on the post, expressing their outrage but not surprise, as they have become accustomed to the ongoing crisis in funeral services across the island. According to a user identified as Barbie Ariel, in Cienfuegos, coffins are made from refrigerator and chicken boxes. "When there's no gray fabric, they use white, and all the letters show through," she pointed out.

Last July, a Cuban woman reported the lack of a coffin and transportation for a deceased family member in the town of La Estrella, Buey Arriba municipality, Granma. "Please help me share this post. My uncle has been dead since yesterday. He's already decomposing, and there's a terrible smell. There isn't a coffin or transport to take him for burial. Please help," Olenmis Mirando wrote on Facebook, alongside a photo showing a body covered with a sheet and some flowers, apparently on a house porch. Four hours after her plea, she updated in the comments section that the situation had been resolved, but a power outage had prevented her from notifying earlier.