The mother of Cuban political prisoner Duannis León Taboada, who was jailed following the July 11, 2021 protests, suffered a stroke this Wednesday upon hearing that her son had been beaten and placed in solitary confinement at the Combinado del Este prison in Havana. The distressing news was shared by the activist Facebook page "Las Taniadas," which reported that Jenni Taboada, the prisoner's mother, remains "conscious and able to communicate." Known for her relentless advocacy for her son's rights, Jenni was surrounded by fellow activists as she awaited neurological evaluation at the Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico de 26.
Urgent Medical Attention Needed
"Las Taniadas" highlighted the pressing need to find a Havana hospital equipped for CT scans and a neurologist to provide immediate care for Jenni. The activists issued a stark warning to the Cuban regime: "To the regime's enforcers: do not obstruct this mother, who has bravely stood against you, from receiving the medical care she requires. Release her son from solitary confinement and allow him to call her. This is in everyone's best interest as the situation could worsen."
Meanwhile, Kenia Romero, the mother of former political prisoner Luis Darién Reyes Romero, called on Cuban influencers to amplify Jenni Taboada's plight. In her Facebook post, Romero emphasized, "She is not a celebrity; she is simply the mother of a political prisoner who took to the streets on July 11 to demand Cuba's freedom, and now she is in a fragile state of health."
Solidarity Among Political Prisoners
Cuban art historian and activist Anamely Ramos reported that another political prisoner, Yoanki Báez Albornoz, has initiated a hunger strike at Combinado del Este in solidarity with his friend Duannis León Taboada. Ramos underscored that both young men, despite being sentenced to 14 years, are innocent and should not be imprisoned alongside hardened criminals serving long sentences for serious offenses.
Last year, Jenni Taboada openly expressed her despair, stating she had been living without life for over a year and a half. "Look, it's been a year and a half without life, suffering, with an immense pain that's consuming me from the inside. Me and thousands of other mothers, fathers, and relatives out there, for all these young men who are imprisoned," she said in a heartfelt live stream on Facebook.
A Mother's Enduring Struggle
The continuous imprisonment of her son has severely affected Jenni's health. "No one should dare say we have peace, and no one should disrupt the little tranquility we have here in Cuba. We have no peace, not even while sleeping, if sleep is even possible. I’ve had a terrible sleep disorder for a year and a half," she asserted.
Months earlier, her son wrote her an emotional letter from prison to help her cope with the ongoing hardships. "I feel empty due to the distance and your worry. I am saddened, I miss the family, my heart feels tight, my eyes reflect it, tears cover them like fog on a mountain," expressed the 23-year-old.
The letter conveys the prisoner’s hopes that his mother will remain strong amidst the family's ongoing challenges since his 14-year sentence for sedition.