Roleivis León, the first person deprived of his liberty to die this year while in the custody of the Cuban state, has generated deep concern. León was being held in Canaleta prison in Matanzas for a crime related to illegally leaving the country.
According to reports circulating on social media, León had declared a hunger strike, the reasons for which have not been made public, which provoked a violent response from Lieutenant Colonel Juan Alberto García, known as "Araña", a high-ranking officer at the penitentiary.
In early January, the inmate was transferred to the Mario Muñoz Monroy Hospital in the municipality of Colón due to his physical condition following the brutal beating. He was kept in isolation at the medical center, where he ultimately died.
Although authorities determined that the cause of death was a "fulminant meningo," according to the Legal Medicine report, the family has not yet received detailed information about the circumstances that led to the tragic outcome.
The State has an obligation to clarify the circumstances of the death while the inmate was in state custody. It is the State's responsibility to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the events that led to León's death.
It is alarming to note that, according to Cubalex records, a total of 30 deaths in state custody were documented in 2022 and 2023, of which 23 occurred inside prisons.
These figures reveal a disturbing pattern of violence and mistreatment of inmates by prison guards. This structural problem must be addressed, and the authorities must take concrete steps to guarantee safety and respect for human rights within the Cuban prison system.