Mejías’s case went viral after the young man’s public complaints about the lack of medical care and support from activists.
LIMA, Peru – The young Cuban José Jardiel Mejías, from Holguín, died last Saturday at the age of 20 after battling a facial tumor known as osteosarcoma.
The news was shared by several activists and independent journalists who had followed Mejías’ case.
“His death (…) closes a chapter marked by struggle, fragility and a very harsh reality that should not have been like this,” wrote reporter Yosmany Mayeta via Facebook.
«Our warrior has died, the pain is immense, we are destroyed, but we are not going to cry. Jardiel was a life lesson for everyone, of courage and faith, let us all pray for our warrior,” he lamented. Nelson Alvarez (El Porfiao), activist who followed him in his trial.
“Just a few hours ago, this young man from Mayarí, province of Holguín, died, which went viral on the networks and for which so many people mobilized to help him with transportation and resources in order to treat the enormous tumor that covered a large part of his face,” the journalist reported. Guillermo Rodriguez.
Mejías’s case went viral after the young man’s public complaints on social networks and the support of activists. His story rightly transcended the uniqueness of his medical condition and also the difficult situation in which he survived.
Thanks to the support of the people, the young man traveled to Havana, where his diagnosis was confirmed and he was informed that there was no cure for his illness. At the end of 2025, the Health authorities in Mayarí issued a note stating that he would remain under medical monitoring with palliative treatments.
According to El Porfiao, José Jardiel’s health had been deteriorating in recent days. His death comes after long periods of complaints, as well as concern about the precariousness in which he lived and the negligence of health services on the Island.
Mejías was a former Greco-Roman wrestling athlete in the provincial ESPA and his death ignites the debate about the health crisis in the country, especially about the quality of care in eastern Cuba for oncology patients.
Activist Adry Díaz was one of the first to publicize the young man’s situation, criticizing the drug shortage such as Carbamazepine and Tramadol for their treatment and the “total abandonment” of the State.
“There is only silence and the weight of a story that touched hearts, because José Jardiel was not a number: he was a young man, a human being, a life that deserved more,” Mayeta highlighted.
