Angélica Garrido, a former Cuban political prisoner who was detained following the July 11, 2021 protests, bravely spoke out at the "Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum for a Free Cuba" held in the European Parliament in Brussels. Her testimony shed light on the brutal abuses she endured at the hands of the island's communist regime. "I suffered repression, torture, and beatings just for shouting 'freedom' alongside my sister," Angélica revealed, highlighting the ongoing unjust imprisonment of her sister, María Cristina Garrido, the executive director of the Cuban Republican Party, who remains incarcerated and mistreated.
In her emotional recount, Garrido detailed the harrowing experiences they both endured, including being denied food for seven days and water for three, while facing beatings and humiliations. The abuse extended to forcing her sister to chant pro-regime slogans under duress, as reported by Cubanet. "They urinated on her to make her say 'Long live Fidel and communism,' beating her in the process, causing lasting injuries she still suffers from in prison. Many women were sexually assaulted that day. Our children bear psychological scars from the arbitrary arrests carried out in front of them," she exclaimed.
Impact of Incarceration on Family
Angélica, who was released in July, and her sister María Cristina were incarcerated at the Guatao women's prison for their participation in the July 11 protests in Quivicán. The regime's courts sentenced them to three and seven years in prison, respectively. During the forum, which was attended by political leaders including U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Garrido also revealed that their imprisonment resulted in the death of their parents, who were unable to bear the anguish and pain from their daughters' detention.
International Call to Action
At the conclusion of the event, participants signed the Brussels Declaration, demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners and urging the European Union Commission to suspend its Cooperation Agreement with Cuba due to blatant human rights violations. Rosa María Payá, leader of the citizen platform Cuba Decide and organizer of the event, reaffirmed the commitment to supporting democratic change on the island as the only solution to the crisis.
The forum served as a critical call to the international community to take decisive action in support of the Cuban people and to oppose the state's oppressive measures.