Parents of Cuban Political Prisoner Andy García Protest Outside Santa Clara Prison: "I Want My Son Alive"

Andy García Lorenzo's parents have staged a protest outside the Guamajal prison in Santa Clara this Wednesday, demanding updates on their son, who has been on a hunger strike for 14 days to protest the violation of his rights. "Since early morning, my parents have been outside the men's prison at Guamajal seeking information about my brother Andy on his 14th day of hunger strike," shared his sister, Roxana García Lorenzo, on Facebook.

The young woman accused the State Security (SE) of keeping her parents under surveillance for days and held this repressive Cuban regime body accountable "for any harm they may suffer." "We are on alert for any updates about my brother, who must be in very poor health by now," expressed Roxana. She has been vocal about her concerns regarding her brother's condition and has demanded the return of the personal letters confiscated from him, which triggered his protest.

Roxana warned the regime's enforcers, saying, "Remember, no one can stand against God and His children. You may feel immune now, but this won't last forever... rethink your actions, SE."

On December 10, International Human Rights Day, State Security maintained its watch over the parents—a fact Tairy Lorenzo Prado, Andy's mother, reported on her social media and to the independent outlet CubaNet. "They won't silence us," she insisted on her Facebook profile, determined to continue demanding respect for her son's rights, starting with the return of the documents seized by prison officials.

Addressing State Security, Tairy recently stated, "I want my son Andy Dunier García Lorenzo alive, read that well, alive." In a video circulated by CubaNet, she reiterated her denunciation of human rights abuses in Cuba and specifically against her son, a peaceful protester from July 11, 2021. She revealed that as of Tuesday, day 13 of García's hunger strike, he had yet to receive a blood test or the return of his confiscated documents.

"We hold State Security responsible for Andy's physical health, emotional well-being, and physical integrity. We are making the SE mechanisms accountable for anything that might happen to Andy, myself, his father, or any family member," Lorenzo warned.

"The world must know that human rights are violated in Cuba," she declared. "We are claiming his rights, we are demanding his letters, we are asking for life-saving medical attention. Minutes pass, hours pass, days pass, and every minute counts for my son's life."

"They are pushing him to the edge, and they are pushing our family to the edge. What do you think? That I will remain silent? I will not be silenced!" she asserted. "Neighbors have told me that State Security is everywhere. I'm not afraid. I'm simply advocating for my son's rights, and I will continue to do so till the end. (...) Andy doesn't deserve to be imprisoned; those who deserve to be imprisoned are you, those of you who are destroying the people, pushing them to the brink. Freedom for Andy. We will not be silenced."

Andy García Lorenzo was sentenced to four years of imprisonment by the regime for his involvement in the historic July 11, 2021, protests in Santa Clara, Villa Clara. He has about seven months left to serve his sentence. Throughout his over three-year incarceration, Andy has faced continuous human rights violations, and he has been denied both conditional release and sentence reduction.

At the end of 2022, his sister reported that Andy had been subjected to psychological torture, beatings, and mistreatment at the labor camp where he was held. During a visit to the prison a few weeks ago, his mother found him "extremely thin, with sunken eyes and breathing difficulties." Distressed by her son's frail state, Lorenzo disclosed that "Andy could barely speak, he had to do so very slowly because he had no strength left."

The family fears for his life and recalls that during a previous hunger strike, he was beaten and subjected to inhumane treatment by prison guards. The Cuban regime's repression against the demonstrators of July 11 and 12, 2021 (11J), has not only led to mass incarcerations but also resulted in a tragic toll, including the deaths of at least four political prisoners while in custody.