The NGO denounces inhuman conditions and the lack of guarantees for detainees
14ymedio, Havana, February 5, 2026 – The year 2026 has begun with 18 new political prisoners, according to the latest report by Prisoners Defenders, published this Thursday, and marks a historic record of 1,207 political prisoners in total. Of these, 436 are seriously ill and 42 suffer from mental disorders without receiving medication.
The Madrid-based NGO specifically denounces the death, on January 22, of Lázaro García Ríos, who died without having received medical assistance. The man, who was detained without an arrest warrant and sentenced to 20 years in prison for throwing Molotov cocktails at the Archive of the Central Havana People’s Court, had repeatedly reported the penitentiary system’s refusal to provide him with medical care.
The report also provides details about the new political prisoners, most of whom were deprived of their liberty for peacefully expressing their opinions on social media. Such is the case of Ankeyli Guerra Fis, who was charged with “propaganda against the constitutional order” following messages posted after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Most of the people were deprived of their liberty for peacefully expressing their opinions on social media
On January 20, Prisoners Defenders released another report denouncing the alarming digital surveillance system that the regime has built to suppress dissent. Based on 200 statements, this first comprehensive report on digital surveillance in Cuba concluded that 60% of respondents were detained and interrogated just hours or days after making critical posts against the regime. In addition, 46.5% of those interviewed also reported having suffered direct interference in their conversations on applications such as WhatsApp.
A group of Cuban women activists submitted a citizen petition this Wednesday to promote an amnesty law before the National Assembly in order to free political prisoners. Led by Yenisey Mercedes Taboada Ortiz—mother of political prisoner Duannis León Taboada—along with Jenny Pantoja and Miryorly García Prieto, the initiative For an Amnesty Now! has so far gathered more than 1,500 verified signatures of the 10,000 required to request the drafting of a law. Of these, 59% correspond to people living on the island.
The issue, however, is repeatedly avoided by the authorities. Asked about it by the EFE news agency, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said that the government “sees no reason to talk about the issue of political prisoners.”
As a point of comparison, there is the case of Venezuela, and the recent proposal by acting president Delcy Rodríguez for a General Amnesty law for political detainees held from 1999 to the present.
Translated by Regina Anavy
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.