A 40-year-old Cuban inmate, identified as Maikel Ponte Herrera, passed away on April 8 after enduring an eight-day hunger and thirst strike at Melena del Sur prison. The news was shared on social media by Iris D. Santana Aldereguía, who posted harrowing images of Ponte Herrera's condition.
"The prison didn't provide any help and let him die," the woman claimed, noting that the authorities notified the family and granted the inmate a medical leave only when the situation had become irreversible. Ponte Herrera's mother managed to get him admitted to the Calixto García hospital on her own. The source reported that a nurse at the hospital demanded 1,000 pesos from the mother to administer a catheter, claiming the hospital lacked the necessary supplies and the urgency of the situation. Despite the efforts, Maikel Herrera's condition remained critical, leading to his death.
Maikel was an ordinary Cuban citizen with no special connections or privileges. His death has been directly attributed to "Captain Luis," a prison official who allegedly ignored his pleas for medical attention during the hunger and thirst strike.
Systematic Violence and Repression in Melena del Sur
On the day of Maikel's death, Cubalex highlighted an extreme climate of violence in the prison through a thread on X (formerly Twitter). This situation has reportedly worsened since the arrival of the lieutenant colonel known as “Luis,” aligning with the complaint regarding the deceased inmate.
Recent incidents include the political prisoner Juan Enrique Pérez Sánchez being brutally beaten and placed in solitary confinement following a peaceful protest. Other political prisoners, Maykel Puig Bergolla and Aníbal Yasiel Jacinto Palau, were also assaulted for showing solidarity with Pérez Sánchez.
Cubalex holds Lázaro Yunior Santana Figueroa, head of the Mayabeque penitentiary system, responsible, along with other high-ranking officials such as Rudi Méndez Acosta, Stany Lolo Villa, Eduardo Ramos Enamorado, Yordanis Rodríguez Valenciano, and Rody, the head of internal order. The organization called on international bodies and independent media to bring these abuses to light and demand justice, stating, “The repression in Cuban prisons cannot continue unpunished.”
Surge in Deaths of Cuban Inmates
In recent months, reports of deaths among Cuban prisoners, both common and political, have sharply increased across the country. In early March, the deaths of two Cuban inmates in Boniato prison, Santiago de Cuba, were reported, bringing the death toll in that facility to eight since the start of 2025, as denounced by the non-governmental organization Cubalex.
The NGO highlighted the overcrowded conditions, neglect, lack of medical care, malnutrition, and unsanitary conditions in these facilities, which continue to "pose a grave risk to the lives of inmates and facilitate the spread of deadly diseases." They further emphasized that deaths of citizens under Cuban state custody “cannot be normalized or go unpunished,” stressing the importance of demanding justice, transparency, and protection for the incarcerated.
Previously, the organization reported in February the deaths of inmates Giovanis Ortega and Irai Nieto, allegedly due to severe malnutrition and neglect, in the same penal unit known as the "underweight floor," where prisoners face extreme hunger and lack of medical care. Just weeks later, another inmate, Osbety Girón, succumbed to tuberculosis after several days in a hospital. His unit was quarantined to prevent the disease from spreading among the prison population.
Other prisons have also reported inmate deaths in recent months. The death of political prisoner Yoleisy Oviedo Rodríguez on February 11 in the El Guatao Forced Labor Camp in Havana caused particular shock. Reports from family members and independent organizations revealed that the mother of two had been suffering from health issues for months and did not receive the necessary medical attention.
Additionally, Yankiel Justiz Despaigne, 36, died of tuberculosis on January 30 in Melena del Sur prison, Mayabeque. In the same province, Yosvany Sánchez died in Quivicán prison in December 2024 due to health complications exacerbated by lack of medical care.
A Cubalex report documented that between January 2022 and January 2024, 56 people in the custody of Cuban authorities died: 36 serving sentences, nine detained in police stations, and 11 recruits during mandatory military service.
FAQs on Prison Conditions and Inmate Deaths in Cuba
What led to Maikel Ponte Herrera's death?
Maikel Ponte Herrera died after an eight-day hunger and thirst strike at Melena del Sur prison, where he reportedly did not receive the needed medical assistance.
How has the prison situation in Cuba been described?
The prison situation in Cuba has been described as violent and repressive, with systematic neglect, overcrowding, and lack of medical care leading to numerous inmate deaths.
Who is being held accountable for the conditions in Cuban prisons?
Cubalex has held high-ranking officials of the Mayabeque penitentiary system responsible for the dire conditions and the lack of accountability in Cuban prisons.