The Family Environment of the Dead Girl in Luyano Points to the Neglect of Cuba’s Social Services

Kamila Melit Alonso Ocampo, only 2 years old, was buried last Friday (Facebook).

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, October 24, 2023 — A fatal error led to the death of Kamila Melit Alonso Ocampo, only 2 years old, from one of the many blows that her mother’s partner frequently inflicted on her. The death of the minor last week in Luyanó, Havana, has unleashed a wave of indignation and differing accounts in which the Hijas de Galicia hospital is accused of neglect.

But the most serious failure, according to family sources that 14ymedio had access to, occurred just two days earlier, due to the lack of action on the part of the social worker dealing with the situation in which Kamila Melit and her older brother were living. Their parents had separated this year and their mother, Karla Ocampo, had started a new relationship.

In Luyanó, according to neighbors, it was known that the man had drug problems. Nor did it seem to be a secret that Karla’s two children were suffering abuse at the hands of both of them. Indeed, last Tuesday the girl was visited by a social worker who saw Kamila Melit’s black eye and asked her how it had happened. The little girl accused her brother of having thrown her into the baby carriage, but the minor — called in by the social worker — denied the incident and declared that it had been their mother’s fault. continue reading

The autopsy, according to sources from the medical center itself, states that blood and other liquids were found in the stomach of the minor

It is not known what could have occurred that led to there being no intervention by the social worker in a situation of evident risk for the children, but just two days later the tragedy was triggered. Karla Ocampo left her children with her partner to go out to the pharmacy and, according to the same sources familiar with the case, he kicked her in the stomach to push her out of his way as she was about to pass. When the mother returned, Karla was practically dead.

This was the state she was in, at least, when she was admitted to the hospital, where there was not even an opportunity to try to save her life. The autopsy, according to sources at the medical center itself, states that blood and other liquids were found in the stomach of the minor, who also showed signs of hypoglycemia and malnutrition.

The forensic examination also indicates that the girl had multiple contusions in several areas of her body and a damaged trachea, presumably because at some point she had been forcibly grabbed by the neck.

The incident occurred on Melones street in the Luyanó neighborhood. There both Karla Ocampo and Nelson Entunakua were arrested in connection with the death of the girl and after neighbors attempted to attack them.

Kamila Melit was buried last Friday and, for the moment, the case is being investigated by the police. The news has not emerged in the official press.

Translated by Sterling Cole – University of Miami/Spanish 321

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORKThe 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

The National Ballet of Cuba Celebrates its 75th Year with an Intense Program of Classics

‘Carmen’ is one of the works included in the program for the National Ballet of Cuba’s 75th anniversary. (Ahmed Piñeiro Fernández/National Ballet of Cuba/Facebook)

14ymedio biggerEFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 27 September 2023 — The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) will celebrate its 75th anniversary with an intense program of 15 works in one month, including dance classics and the company’s own classics such as Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and Coppelia. The program will run throughout October, coinciding with the month of the company’s foundation, the company’s directors announced Tuesday at a press conference.

“(It will be) a full month with performances every weekend and (with) different programs,” explained Viengsay Valdés, general director and dancer of the BNC.

The performances will be held at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, with the exception of October 28th, the last day of the 75th anniversary jubilee, when a grand gala will be held.

Likewise, Valdés said, the company will carry out different activities in public places, movie theaters, and schools in order to “awaken that feeling for the art of dance even more.” continue reading

It will be a full month with performances every weekend and different programs,” explained Viengsay Valdés

The different performances will feature Cuban and foreign dancers from other companies, according to the organizers. And one of the figures who will be at the center will be Alicia Alonso, its former director, main founder, and leading figure, who died in 2019 at the age of 99.

The program includes Rara Avis, Cinderella, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Carmen, Giselle, Song of Life, Seventh Symphony, Classical Trilogy (Act I of Coppelia, Act II of Swan Lake, and Act III of Don Quixote), Alfonsina, Leda and the Swan, Rhythms, Dionaea, Majísimo and Blood Wedding.

The National Ballet of Cuba is the most important classical dance company on the island, founded in 1948 under the name of Alicia Alonso, internationally renowned for the artistic-technical rigor of its dancers and a style in which the romantic and classical traditions predominate.

In 2018 it was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation for being “the highest expression of the Cuban school of ballet,” a status extended to the repertoire of the company, its archive of images, objects, and documents related to the institution.

Translated by Allison Reyes, Sterling Cole, and TriciaLyn Beamer as part of Spanish 321 (University of Miami)

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORKThe 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.