Former M5S deputy, Alessandro di Battista, was transferred to one of Cuba’s top hospitals after suffering severe headaches and losing consciousness. The Italian government is on standby with medical evacuation flight.
Former Five Star Movement (M5S) deputy Alessandro Di Battista has been hospitalised in Cuba after suffering a sudden medical episode, prompting the Italian government to mobilise diplomatic and medical support and put a medical evacuation flight on standby.
Taken ill in Santa Clara, transferred to Havana
Di Battista, 48, was admitted to hospital in Santa Clara on the evening of Friday, August 28, after suffering severe headaches and a sudden collapse. The former politician was on the island working on a reportage series for Il Fatto Quotidiano and TvLoft, titled “La polvere del mondo” (“The Dust of the World”), continuing the field journalism he has carried out from conflict and crisis zones including Russia, Syria and Israel in recent years.
He arrived at the Santa Clara hospital in serious condition and, according to some reports, spent several hours unconscious before regaining consciousness. He was subsequently transferred by ambulance to the Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital in Havana, regarded as one of the best medical facilities on the island. Di Battista arrived lucid and able to respond to questions from medical staff. On arrival, he was taken on a stretcher to the 19th floor of the hospital, where doctors immediately checked his vital signs before he underwent further specialist examinations.
The exact cause of the episode has not been officially confirmed.
Italian authorities mobilise
News of the hospitalisation quickly reached Rome, where Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had been in contact with the Italian Embassy in Cuba overnight to check on Di Battista’s condition. Tajani added he was praying for his health and that the Foreign Ministry would provide all necessary assistance to him and his family.
Italy’s ambassador to Cuba, Simona De Martino, travelled to the hospital in Santa Clara to gather information on his condition and ensure coordination with Cuban authorities, before following his transfer to Havana. Sources at Palazzo Chigi said the government was following the situation closely and that a medical evacuation aircraft had been made available to bring Di Battista back to Italy. However, officials stressed that any transfer would only go ahead once doctors confirmed his condition allowed for safe transport.
A message from hospital
Di Battista also resurfaced on social media following the episode, responding to a message of support on Instagram from Ilaria Loquenzi, a former member of the Five Star Movement’s communications team. He said he would do everything he could to be back soon.
Peter Gomez, editorial director of Il Fatto Quotidiano‘s website, told Italian media that details on Di Battista’s condition remained limited. He said only that the situation was serious and that he was awaiting more precise updates alongside everyone following the story.
As of the latest reports, Di Battista remained under observation at the Havana hospital undergoing further specialist assessment. Italian authorities continue to monitor developments before any decision is made on repatriation.
