Several non-governmental organizations on Tuesday demanded access to Cuban prisons, calling for international support following the death of a man imprisoned for participating in the July 2021 anti-government demonstrations.
Several NGOs including Justicia 11J and the Centro de Documentación de Prisiones Cubanas (Cuban Prison Documentation Center), operated by Mexico-based non-profit organization Iniciativa para la Investigación y la Incidencia (Research and Advocacy Initiative), released statements denouncing the conduct of the Cuban authorities and demanding access to Cuban prisons to ensure an end to the systemic violation of prisoners’ rights. Justicia 11J and the Center for a Free Cuba urged “governments, the United Nations, international human rights organizations and medical associations around the world” to “pressure the Cuban regime” and “provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to all Cuban prisons,” and to provide care and treatment for sick or injured prisoners.
The death of the political prisoner and member of the opposition Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas, who had been serving a sentence of six years in the Combinado del Este prison in Havana, drew condemnation from multiple international organizations.
Guillén Esplugas was among those arrested after participating in the protests that began on July 11, 2021 (“11J”), where thousands of Cubans, spurred by their dissatisfaction with living conditions, organized demonstrations against the regime for its handling of the economy and Covid-19 crisis, and repression of dissidents. Constant blackouts and shortages of food, medicine and personal hygiene items contributed to the nationwide protests.
A statement from Guillén Esplugas’ mother, Dania Esplugas, stated he died as a victim of a beating by prison guards, in which he sustained a fractured collarbone and trachea during the attack. Authorities informed his brother and cousin that Manuel had hanged himself. However, they have maintained he was killed, attributing his neck injuries to a guard’s belt. Reports indicate the beating occurred in a punishment cell following a prison escape attempt. Statements were also released by the US Embassy in Cuba and Rosa María Payá, a Cuban activist and founder of Cuba Decide, a pro-democracy non-profit Manuel had promoted.
The Cuban Prison Documentation Center monitors human rights violations and conditions within Cuba’s detention and confinement centers. In April, the center reported that Guillén Esplugas, who was held alongside violent criminals, was “plagued by bedbugs, rats and poor nutrition,” was “extremely thin,” and that jailers had denied him “medical care for scabies and skin problems.” Justicia 11J has been verifying, updating and disseminating information on public protests in Cuba since the July 2021 unrest. Justicia 11J notes this marks the “third verified death” of a protester from the July 2021 uprising. Its Annual Report 2024 revealed that 554 people remain imprisoned in connection with the July protests.
