Cuban actor Rubén Breña dies of a terrible disease

• Talented Cuban actor Rubén Breña dies.
• He was admitted to the hospital with erosive gastritis.
• The clinic is accused of not having necessary medication to treat him.

Talented Cuban actor Rubén Breña dies after being admitted to the hospital with erosive gastritis. The clinic was accused of inadequate treatment although official sources from the Hermanos Ameijeiras clinic in Havana assured that they did have the required medication, according to Diario de Cuba.

The news has circulated quickly through social media where various figures have paid heartfelt tributes to the artist, through photographs, condolences and messages about his career, his personal life and other memories of this tremendous artist who made a huge mark on the world of entertainment in Cuba.

Rubén Breña dies

The popular actor was 70 years old and had been in the intensive care unit for several days before he died on Thursday. His family and friends had asked for help getting medication he required, however, the hospital administration assured that they had everything necessary to care for him.

The information about the artist’s passing was confirmed by authorities from the Ministry of Culture on Cuba Debate. It should be noted that he was a radio, television, film and theater performer and died from erosive gastritis.

What did the hospital say?

After the controversy over the alleged lack of medication, the hospital released a statement: «At present, care is a challenge for our ministry (Public Health), we are not far from the negative impact of the blockade (US embargo) on our center, but every day we face the current limitations of our activity.”

Currently, Cuba is facing a critical shortage of medications which harms patients. People request help through social media to obtain both basic treatments and supplies for surgery. The actor and his family had done this before he died.

Rubén Breña’s career

Breña was born in Pinar del Río on September 21, 1953 and years later he graduated from the National School of Theater Direction of the Ministry of Culture in 1970. Later he joined the theater groups Zafarrancho and Trotamundos. He was beloved by Cuban audiences because he appeared in soap operas, teleplays and stories, especially standing out the soap operas Tierra brava, Historias de Fuego and Cuando el Agua Regresa a la Tierra.

Among his most popular works are Los Gemelos de Carlos Goldoni, Los Amaneceres son Aquí Apacibles and El Bizco. On television he was known for his roles in Tierra Brava, Historias de Fuego, Cuando el Agua Regresa a la Tierra and Blue es Azul. The actor also enjoyed painting, music and poetry.

Another celebrity asked for help to obtain medication

Due to the drug crisis on the island, artistic director and cultural promoter Jorge J. Aloma Morgadanes had asked his followers to help him get the antibiotics his mother needed. «Although I treat her several times a day with all the resources, the infection she caught doesn’t stop, because she’s diabetic and in Cuba there are no antibiotics to treat her,» he said on Facebook.

«Please, if someone has cephalexin, amoxicillin or another variant of penicillin that they can send me, because I can’t go out since I can’t leave my mother alone, I will be very grateful,» the artist concluded. Unfortunately for Cuban actor Rubén Braña, nothing could be done to save his life.