Cuban Comedian Criticizes โRegime’s Delayedโฃ Response to Arbovirus Epidemic
HAVANA, Cuba – โCuban comedian Ulises toirac has sharply criticized the Cuban government’sโ delayed acknowledgement of a widespreadโ arbovirus epidemic, stating โขthe situation has become “uncontrollable” after months โคof escalating illness across the country.The government only โrecently began publicly addressing the outbreak of dengue, chikungunya, and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Toirac voiced his concerns in a Facebook post on โNovember 13,lamenting that authorities waited until the epidemic โคwasโ already severe to โrecognise it.”Two or three daysโ ago thereโ was talk for the first time โคof an arbovirus epidemic in Cuba, whileโข people were dropping like flies for โthree months in places likeโฃ Matanzas,” he wrote.
theโข comedian recently jokedโข about contracting chikungunya, quipping he โwas “fashionable” inโ getting sick. However, his recent post takes a more serious โtone, describing the regime’s initial response as “indolence” and โคaccusingโข health โauthorities of โdenying the severity of the โoutbreak for weeks despite clear evidence.
Toirac highlighted the ideal conditions for arbovirus spread in Cuba, citing a lack of sanitationโ andโข widespread garbage accumulation. “The country โฃis โคa kind โฃof panacea for these insects,” he stated, addingโ that โthe sheer number of mosquitoes โขmakes containment “virtually impossible.” he also criticized the โขlack of public health guidance and information provided to citizens, stating โคthe population โhas beenโฃ left vulnerable and has suffered consequences, “including death.”
The comedian’s statement reflects growing public discontent over the epidemiological crisis. Reports from doctors, activists, and citizens indicate a collapse in the hospitalโฃ system and a critical shortage of resources to combat the epidemic, which the government allegedly โattempted to conceal.Recent reports detail hospital โcollapses and โขresource shortages โคas the government struggled to address theโ growingโ health crisis.