“Unfortunately, in Cuba we are currently experiencing a dengue pandemic, which left my mother dead today,” the interpreter wrote.
MIAMI, United States. – The Cuban singer residing in the United States Eduardo Antonio reported on his Facebook profile the death of his mother in Cuba and attributed the cause to dengue, while defining the health scenario on the Island as a “pandemic.”
“Unfortunately, in Cuba we are currently experiencing a dengue pandemic, which left my mother dead today,” wrote the artist, known as The Divo of Placetas.
In his public farewell, the artist addressed his mother – whom he identified as Olguita – with a message of mourning: “I love you, my mother, forever and I will stay here with your love and your joy. I am going to need a lot of strength to move forward because I never imagined that the pain I feel today would be so dark and deep.”
He later promised not to disappoint her “as a man or as an artist.” “I will always give my best as you taught me to continue being your pride to shine as an artist and be loved by my audience,” he said.
Finally, The Divo of Placetas He assured that he will continue with his artistic commitments: “No show will be canceled because my profession is singing,” he wrote.
The interpreter’s testimony comes in the midst of an uptick in arboviruses on the Island. The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) recognized three deaths from dengue for the first time this year, without specifying identities or provinces. The confirmation was offered by Vice Minister Carilda Peña García and disseminated by the official press, which also reported transmission in 36 municipalities in 12 provinces.
Peña García warned about the danger of the virus and the presence of several serotypes in circulation. “Dengue is a disease that has a strong association with serious, critical cases and deaths,” he said, in an appearance reported by Granma. Official and provincial media have added that serotype 4 predominates, which increases the risk in reinfected people, and have reported an increase in serious and critical patients.
At the regional level, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) report that, as of epidemiological week 39 of 2025, the Americas registered 3.93 million suspected cases of dengue. Although the figure is lower than the record in 2024, transmission is still high.
The epidemiological crisis in Cuba is worsened by the precariousness of the health system. The Government itself has recognized the shortage of drugs: “We have affected more than 70% of the basic medication list,” said Miguel Díaz-Canel in an interview cited by international mediawho added that the country has not managed to obtain the 300 million dollars necessary for pharmaceutical raw materials.
Justo Placetas, where Eduardo Antonio is originally from and where his mother allegedly resided, is one of the seven municipalities of Villa Clara with a high infestation of dengue, Oropuche and chikungunya, as reported last Tuesday by the provincial newspaper, Vanguard.
According to the director of Hygiene and Epidemiology of Villa Clara, Neil Reyes Miranda, in the province there is an increased risk of transmission and “more intense symptoms” because several of these viruses can coexist in the same individual, in addition to serotypes three and four of dengue that have remained circulating in most municipalities throughout the year.
On October 9, Reyes Miranda he told the press that “14 cases” had been reported in the province [de arbovirosis] serious in total”, but “no deaths”.
Eduardo Antonio (Placetas, Villa Clara, 1969) is a Cuban-Mexican singer and actor with extensive presence on television and stage. He was co-host of Don Francisco presentswhere he received the nickname The Divo of Placetas. He has participated in Televisa soap operas and in the video clip The black woman has a tumbaonext to Celia Cruzin addition to maintaining an active agenda of presentations in the United States and Mexico.
Although the artist refers to “pandemic” it is a personal assessment. The PAHO refers to “active transmission of the disease” and “regional outbreak of exceptional magnitude.” However, Cuban authorities do not report morbidity and mortality statistics with transparency to citizens or international organizations.
