The Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory has documented at least 97 deaths or disappearances among recruits in Cuba’s compulsory military service between 2001 and 2026. Thirty-three were recorded as suicides, making suicide the leading known cause of death; 22 occurred in 2025 alone, with victims averaging 18.7 years old. The report describes family isolation, precarious living conditions, exhausting work, abuse and inadequate medical and psychological care. It also warns that those who survive suicide attempts may be prosecuted as deserters and sentenced to more than ten years in prison.

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