The latest victim of the tragic conditions in Cuban prisons is Ernesto Brieva Sempe. The 52-year-old dissident died in May in the capital's Combinado del Este prison. Man he was serving a 5-year sentence for participating in anti-government demonstrations.
According to data provided by Cubalex, the direct cause of Brieva Sempe's death was body wasting caused by malnutrition.
Prisons without electricity, water and food
Human rights organizations have been reporting since March this year that the situation of people detained on the island is rapidly deteriorating. This happens regularly in prisons interruptions in electricity and water supplies.
As if that were not enough, prison authorities are drastically reducing the already meager food rations for prisoners. Cubalex emphasizes that since the mass arrests in July 2021, people have been behind bars over 500 participants speeches against the communist government.
Echoes of historic protests
A wave of social discontent, which led to the imprisonment of hundreds of people, broke out on July 11, 2021. Cubans took to the streets due to: dramatic food shortages, lack of basic medicines, and the difficult situation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six-day demonstrations, in which thousands of islanders took part, went down in history as some of the largest anti-government demonstrations since the end of the communist revolution in 1959 Today, the participants of those events are paying the highest price in prison for opposing the authorities.
