In Matanzas, Cuba, families face severe issues with funeral services due to fuel shortages, blackouts, and broken vehicles. Testimonies reveal delays, body decomposition, and a bribery system to expedite procedures. A recent addition of one hearse fails to address the structural crisis.
Claudia recounted how attempting to cremate her grandmother in Matanzas turned into a nightmare. After hours of waiting, the crematorium lacked liquefied gas or diesel to fire the ovens, which require 850 to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The cold chamber failed, forcing burial of the body with visible decomposition.
Jorge faced a similar ordeal after his mother-in-law's death. He was told one vehicle served 16 deceased in the city, charging 3,000 pesos to move up the list. He paid 18,000 pesos total for cremation, after which the system operated efficiently: they even removed the hearse battery to power the oven's mechanical arm.
The 2015 cremation oven relies on stable electricity for ventilation and mechanisms. In March 2026, the Girón newspaper announced one new hearse as reinforcement for the province, home to nearly one million people.
An anonymous funeral sector worker questioned its impact: “Do you really think one hearse—no matter how modern—is going to make a difference in a province of nearly a million people?” They improvise parts and fuel to avert total collapse.
