“There is one confirmed death, although it is not known whether he hanged himself or was hanged.”
14ymedio, Havana, February 19, 2026 — The cry of “Down with Díaz-Canel!” echoed from Cuba’s Canaleta prison in Ciego de Ávila on Wednesday afternoon. Dozens of inmates staged a riot that, according to reports from organizations and testimonies from inside the prison, was met with a heavy-handed crackdown.
This newspaper was able to confirm, through an activist in direct contact with the prisoners’ families, that “there is ambulances outside and seriously injured people.” The activist, whose identity is being withheld to avoid reprisals, added that “there is one confirmed death, although it is not known whether he hanged himself or was hanged.” According to the testimony, the situation is “partially under control,” but not entirely.
According to the NGO Prisoners Defenders and the Cuban Prison Documentation Center (CDPC), the uprising occurred at this high-security prison in the center of the country, a facility that has been plagued for years by complaints of overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and mistreatment. A prisoner’s testimony provided to the EFE news agency also stated that reinforcements arrived at the prison and used rubber bullets, pepper spray, and physical violence to quell the protest.
The inmates speak of beatings, being shot with rubber bullets, and the use of chemical agents.
According to accounts shared by family members and activists, the riot began between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The inmates—among whom were reportedly several political prisoners—were protesting the living conditions inside the prison, particularly the food shortages, lack of medical care, and abuse by guards.
During the early morning hours, videos and audio recordings circulated on social media in which shouts of “freedom,” “Homeland and Life,” and slogans against
President Miguel Díaz-Canel could be heard. In some images taken from inside the prison, several inmates displayed sheets with protest messages hanging in the common areas.
Reports indicate that the repressive operation intensified early Thursday morning, when—according to testimonies—special forces known as the Black Wasps intervened. Inmates describe beatings, rubber bullet fire, and the use of chemical agents.
Canaleta Prison, considered the most severe prison in the province of Ciego de Ávila, is located on the outskirts of the provincial capital and houses more than 3,000 inmates, according to data compiled by researchers of the Cuban prison system. Construction of the complex began in the mid-1960s with wooden barracks and was expanded in 1975 with multi-story buildings, surrounded by a double perimeter fence and concrete walls. Due to its size and security level, it holds a significant portion of the province’s prison population.
Prisoners Defenders points out that prisoners “have risen up demanding freedom for Cuba.” The Madrid-based organization currently counts 1,207 political prisoners on the island, a figure that the Cuban government systematically rejects.
According to figures from Cubalex, in 2025 at least 41 deaths occurred in Cuban prisons, linked to inhumane conditions of confinement, poor food, lack of adequate medical care and diseases without timely treatment.
Regarding Canaleta prison, reports agree in pointing out abuses and repression against prisoners for political reasons, internal corruption and deteriorating sanitary conditions.
During that same period, the NGO documented 1,330 human rights violations against people imprisoned on the island. The reports include 1,045 cases of harassment and repression, 402 of denial of medical care, 297 of inadequate living conditions, and 224 related to food shortages.
The CDPC has also denounced practices such as prolonged isolation, punitive transfers and forced labor without pay, in addition to the use of punishment methods that human rights organizations consider forms of torture, including the so-called “Turkish bed,” “the bicycle” and the use of “shakiras,” shackles that completely immobilize the prisoner.
Regarding Canaleta prison, in particular, reports consistently point to abuses and repression against political prisoners, internal corruption, and deteriorating sanitary conditions. Prisoners’ families have also repeatedly denounced the difficulties they face in accessing medicine and food during visits.
Nearly 24 hours after the incidents began, Cuban authorities have not issued an official statement on the riot or the situation inside the prison. There has also been no independent confirmation of fatalities.
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