A Life Cut Short
Romina Rivera Cruz, a nine-year-old violinist from Venezuela who was part of the National Children's Symphony and had performed before Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, died last Sunday. The girl, who suffered from cystic fibrosis, had been hospitalized for ten days in the city of Acarigua before her death.[S1][S2]
The news was announced by the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela, known as El Sistema, to which Romina belonged. In a message on social media, the institution expressed that they would always remember her smile, her love for art, and her brilliant talent, noting how hard it is to lose one of their own.[S1][S2]
Romina had traveled to Rome in October 2025 as part of a delegation of about 160 children who went to Italy for activities related to the canonization of Venezuelans Carmen Rendiles and José Gregorio Hernández. During the concert 'Saints and Music for All,' she performed a violin solo in Danzón No. 2, one of the most famous works by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez.[S1][S3]
Mother's Complaint
After her daughter's death, Claribeth Cruz publicly questioned the care Romina received during her ten days in the Hospital Dr. Jesús María Casal Ramos in Acarigua. Cruz stated that her daughter died due to a lack of medical knowledge about her condition, saying that the medical staff turned off her light.[S1][S4]
According to Cruz, Romina was attended by different doctors who were not familiar with cystic fibrosis and who did not allow contact with her regular pulmonologist. She also claimed that the hospital lacked the necessary conditions for a patient with such complexity, and that the series of studies and exams performed actually destabilized her daughter.[S2][S3]
The mother said that her daughter became a subject of study and practice for the doctors on duty, whether they were students or not. Cruz explained that she made her experience public not only for what happened to her daughter but also for other children who might go through similar situations, acknowledging that she will not get her daughter back but that many children may have suffered or are suffering the same way.[S2][S3]
Remembering Romina
Raquel Castillo, regional director of El Sistema in Portuguesa, remembered Romina as a very disciplined, studious, talented, and happy student. The school Nuestra Señora del Pilar, where she was in fifth grade, also expressed its condolences, saying that her light and memory will always remain in the classrooms and in the hearts of those who knew her.[S1][S3]
Romina had begun studying violin at age four and had joined both the Regional Symphony of Portuguesa 'José Antonio Páez' and the National Children's Symphony. Her talent also earned her recognition on social media through videos of her performances. Despite her illness, she found in the violin a way to express herself and share her talent, and her presentation before the Pope made her story transcend borders.[S5][S6]
