The tiny golden image, venerated for more than four centuries, remains a powerful symbol of faith and resilience in a country enduring its harshest economic crisis in decades.
Power outages, lack of water, and basic supplies have strained the population’s daily life over the past four years.
Many worshippers voiced pleas for unity and change as they followed the Virgin. Despite restrictions on religion after the revolution, devotion to the saint has persisted, drawing both Catholics and Santeria followers. Her sanctuary near Santiago remains one of the island’s most important pilgrimage sites.