An inmate named Frank Morales Cuesta, held at the high-security Boniato prison in Santiago de Cuba, has died under circumstances that have sparked outrage among his family members. According to their statements, while tuberculosis might have played a role in his death, they firmly believe that starvation was the ultimate cause, reported journalist Yosmany Mayeta on his Facebook profile.
"Look at the time, and he’s still at the morgue. We've been here since 4 a.m., and they say there's no car," a visibly distressed relative stated while waiting with others to transport the body from Ambrosio Grillo Hospital.
The family has appealed to the authorities to provide a funeral vehicle so they can hold a proper wake and bid farewell to Morales Cuesta in dignified conditions. They highlighted that the conditions in Pavilion 17 of the Boniato penitentiary were unbearable, accusing the prison administration of negligence.
"They starved him to death," a family member declared, holding the prison authorities responsible for Morales Cuesta’s death, as noted by Mayeta.
This incident comes just days after activists and opposition groups reported the killing of Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas, a political prisoner serving time at the Combinado del Este prison in Havana. Ana Belkis Ferrer, using José Daniel Ferrer’s account on social media platform X, denounced that Guillén, a member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a promoter of Cuba Decide, and participant in the July 11 protests, was murdered.
Social media quickly erupted in condemnation over the prison death of the young political prisoner and great-grandson of Cuba’s National Poet, Nicolás Guillén. A recent report by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights and the independent outlet elTOQUE revealed that at least 95 people have died at the hands of law enforcement in Cuba over the past five years, including more than 40 prisoner deaths by 2024. The document also highlights that 287 people have suffered non-lethal police violence in the same period.
Key Questions on Prison Conditions in Cuba
What led to Frank Morales Cuesta's death in Boniato prison?
His family believes that starvation was the primary cause of his death, although tuberculosis may have been a contributing factor.
How have the authorities responded to the family's request for a funeral vehicle?
The family has been waiting for a vehicle to transport the body since early morning, but they reported that no car was available.
What other recent incidents have raised concerns about prison conditions in Cuba?
The recent alleged murder of political prisoner Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas has also brought attention to the dire conditions and treatment of inmates in Cuban prisons.