A Cuban prisoner, held in Camp A 500 in Guantánamo province, swallowed a spoon as a protest against the charges imposed by the regime. The inmate, identified as Yunior Téllez Díaz, stated he ingested the spoon to draw attention to an injustice he faces. He was accused of causing damage and assault. "He was severely beaten and is experiencing immense abdominal pain," reported Yonimiler del Rio Polo, president of the Mario Manuel de La Peña Human Rights Movement, on Facebook.
Increasing Repression and Fear Among Cuban Prisoners
Although the Facebook post lacks further details about Téllez Díaz’s case, this incident is part of a broader wave of repression and fear that Cuban prisoners endure, particularly those accused of offenses against the state or violations of the Constitution. The living conditions within Cuban prisons have deteriorated significantly due to inadequate food, a shortage of medications, poor hygiene products, and generally unacceptable conditions, as reported by inmates and their families.
Dire Living Conditions in Cuban Prisons
Activist Ania Zamora, mother of 26-year-old political prisoner Sissi Abascal, who was sentenced to six years for participating in the July 2021 protests, told Martí Noticias that the crisis impacts both inmates and their families, who must provide for them. "The food in prison is terrible, very little, and sometimes they don’t even go to the dining hall because it's inedible. Sick inmates lack medication. There’s an infestation of mosquitoes, bedbugs, and everything," Zamora explained.
Reports of Neglect and Poor Sanitation
In March of this year, political prisoner Reinier Calderín Socarrás highlighted the lack of medications and poor sanitary conditions in Kilo 8 prison in Camagüey. Cuban non-governmental organizations have also raised concerns about the deaths of inmates under irregular conditions. One such case involved a prisoner in Kilo 7 provincial prison in Camagüey, who died from a virus and suffered physical and psychological abuse from guards.
Medical Negligence Leading to Inmate Deaths
Recently, it emerged that at least two prisoners died in Cuban jails in August due to medical negligence and inadequate healthcare, according to a report by the Cuban Prisons Documentation Center.