Despite the seriousness of the events, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces does not issue official information about these cases.
LIMA, Peru – A young Cuban died this weekend while completing the Compulsory Military Service (SMO) imposed by the Castro regime. This is Samuel Sampedro, 18 years old, who was stationed in a unit in Havana.
“Sources close to the family confirmed the death under strange circumstances,” he reported. via Facebook the journalist Mario J. Pentón.
According to the report, the young man was serving his SMO at the Combinado del Este and so far his family has not received official information or details about his death.
“His relatives demand transparency and justice,” highlights Pentón.
Not counting the death of Samuel Sampedro, at least 15 young people have died so far in 2025 while complying with the SMO, as documented by Cubalex. Reported cases include accidents in the Prevention Corps, medical negligence, gunshots or self-harm.
Parents and activists point out that the SMO, far from representing a training stage, has become a risk environment and abuses for Cuban adolescents and young people. They denounce that the deaths are repeated in similar circumstances.
Despite the seriousness of the events, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) has not issued official information about these cases, which has increased the demand from family members and organizations for greater transparency and the end of the mandatory nature of military service in Cuba.
Two cases of deaths in less than a week
At the end of last August, two young Cubans died in less than a week while complying with the regime’s SMO. The first case was Lázaro Daniel Monteros, 19 years old and a native of Ciego de Ávila, who died in the El Morro unit, in Havana.
The vagueness in the information caused outrage among those close to Montero. Meanwhile, one of the most widespread versions of his death refers to an impact on the boy’s head, although it was not specified how it occurred or what caused it.
The second deceased was the 18-year-old Cuban identified as Antonio Rassi, who died in the El Calvario Military Unit, also in the Cuban capital.
The news was confirmed to Cubanet by the father of another young recruit who accompanied Rassi. Antonio shot himself, taking his own life, as the other soldiers were informed.
“Last week Antonio did not bathe. They asked him to but he smelled bad. It was noticeable that his mental health was deteriorating. Nobody observes this and many boys strongly reject Compulsory Military Service. And the worst thing is, they give him a weapon without being fit or analyzing his psychological situation,” the source explained to Cubanet.
