Ana Belkis Ferrer García, the sister of Cuban political prisoner José Daniel Ferrer, has reported yet another instance of the regime denying a family visit at Mar Verde prison, located in Santiago de Cuba. In a post on Facebook, Ferrer García detailed that on Friday, October 4, 2024, José Daniel's wife and two children attempted to visit him, only to be turned away once more. They were merely allowed to deliver a bag containing food and hygiene products.
Since March 2023, the Castro and Díaz-Canel dictatorship has kept Ferrer isolated from his family, denying him the right to family and spousal visits, as well as telephone calls, effectively cutting off contact for 19 consecutive months. "JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND LIFE FOR #SOSFerrer AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS! DOWN WITH THE CASTRO CANEL COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP!" Ferrer García declared, urging the international community and human rights advocates to take action.
Brief and Rare Family Contact
The last family member to gain access was his wife, Nelva Ismarays Ortega Tamayo, who had to stage a protest in April to demand her right to see the political prisoner. After months without contact, Nelva Ismaray was granted only two minutes in the maximum-security facility. On July 29, José Daniel, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu), turned 54, yet the regime refused to allow a visit even on his birthday.
Unjust Imprisonment
Ferrer was arrested on July 11, 2021, for attempting to join the widespread protests occurring on that day. He is serving a four-year prison sentence imposed in February 2020 for alleged "assault and unlawful detention" against a third party. This sentence had previously been commuted to four and a half years of house arrest.
The ongoing denial of Ferrer's basic rights highlights the oppressive nature of the current Cuban government, drawing condemnation from those who champion freedom and human dignity.