Image taken from memoryofnations
Miguel Ángel López Herrera, former political prisoner and member of Independent and Democratic Cuba (CID), faces a new act of provocation by members of a Rapid Response group, instigated by State Security in Guantánamo. According to his testimony, neighbors affiliated with these brigades damaged his property by breaking part of his fence and hanging a hammock in his yard, ignoring his complaints. Despite seeking support from local authorities, he received no response from the police, the area delegate, or other official representatives.
This incident is part of a prolonged harassment that López Herrera has suffered for years, including acts of vandalism, threats, beatings and attacks with stones against him and his home, perpetrated by the same neighbors instigated by State Security.
Furthermore, her life is in danger due to a benign prostatic hyperplasia He has a severe condition that requires him to rely on a permanent feeding tube, and he has no access to the surgery necessary for his treatment. Although he managed to obtain the surgical kit thanks to the support of friends, the authorities at the Agustino Neto Hospital in Guantánamo have not prioritized his case, informing him that they will attend to other patients first before considering his situation.
Michelangelo's House
López Herrera has announced that if he does not receive a response by early December, he plans to begin a peaceful protest that could include an indefinite hunger strike, as his life depends on this intervention. The prolonged use of the feeding tube, which has been in place since January, could cause irreparable damage and increase his risk of developing cancer.
The humanitarian crisis in Cuba, marked by a severe shortage of basic resources and essential medicines, exacerbates this situation, forcing people to rely on the informal market and face long waits for medical care. In the case of López Herrera, the constant harassment he endures due to his peaceful activism exposes him to extreme stress, direct violence, and institutional vulnerability, reflecting a systematic pattern of repression against human rights defenders in Cuba.