The use of psychiatry as a tool of political repression exposes the grave human rights crisis in Cuba. Just as in the Soviet Union, where false diagnoses such as “slow schizophrenia” were used to silence and discredit dissidents, the Cuban state resorts to manipulated psychiatric diagnoses and forced treatments to discredit activists and opponents, portraying them to society as mentally unstable.
Today, this tactic remains in use in Cuba. Civil society organizations have documented between 20 and 30 cases of dissidents subjected to forced psychiatric evaluations and treatments in the last 15 years, mostly activists from movements such as the Ladies in White and the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). This practice allows for the justification of abuses and inhumane conditions in a prison system that does not meet basic human rights standards. An example of this is the case of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who was forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution, prohibiting his family from accessing his medical records or knowing his state of health. A similar experience was had by the Cuban journalist. Omar Suárez Campos, He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after denouncing the water shortage in Pinar del Río. State Security agents forcibly transported him in an ambulance, without presenting any official document justifying his admission.
Since 1959, a pattern of psychiatric repression has been documented in Cuba, characterized by the systematic use of electroshock torture and the forced administration of psychotropic drugs to subdue and "soften up" dissidents and activists. Recorded cases show how, under accusations of "enemy propaganda" or escape attempts, detainees are sent to psychiatric hospitals where they suffer abusive treatments that severely damage their physical and mental health. Among the most alarming examples are Luis Pérez Quintana, subjected to multiple electroshocks after being denounced for the political content of a novel; Pascual Ovidio Delgado, forced to consume psychotropic drugs that caused permanent damage to his nervous system; and Silvio Águila Llanes, arrested after the "Río Canimar" ship incident, who also received electroshocks and forced medication as punishment for attempting to escape from Cuba. Cases like that of José Obregón, who was kept tied up for days after receiving medication that caused hallucinations, demonstrate how the combination of confinement and psychiatric torture turns "treatment" into a tool of psychological destruction, with effects that extend beyond imprisonment.
Psychiatric torture has become a powerful instrument of repression in Cuba, affecting not only direct victims but also sending a clear message to the population: any expression of opposition to the regime can have devastating consequences, including the destruction of one's mental health. The persistence of these practices, even decades after their establishment, demonstrates the absence of oversight and accountability mechanisms in the Cuban system, perpetuating impunity and the suffering of those who attempt to raise their voices in defense of their rights. These practices affect visible critics of the regime, as well as people like Juan Carlos González—publicly known as “Gullible”—, They express social unrest.. In 2009, González was arrested after interrupting a television interview in Havana to shout “We are hungry!”, a cry that highlighted the country’s dire economic situation. Authorities responded by committing him to a psychiatric hospital, claiming he suffered from “mental disorders.”
The use of psychiatry as a means of political repression in Cuba constitutes an alarming violation of human rights protected in international treaties ratified by the Cuban State, such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These instruments obligate the State to safeguard the physical and mental integrity of its citizens, prohibiting torture and any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and to protect fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and peaceful protest. However, the documented practice of issuing manipulated psychiatric diagnoses and applying forced treatments to discredit opponents constitutes a direct violation of these rights. These actions cause lasting physical and psychological harm to the victims, limiting their ability to participate in the civic and social life of the country.
These practices also violate several articles of the Cuban Constitution of 2019, ...such as those that uphold human dignity as a fundamental value, the right to health, and freedom of thought and expression. As well as... Cuban Penal Code, particularly those that protect the physical and psychological integrity of people, punish torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and abuse of authority.
On the other hand, the lack of transparency in procedures involving psychiatric abuse and forced treatment violates the right to an effective defense and access to justice. The Cuban Constitution recognizes the right to an adequate defense and access to justice, but in practice, restrictions on access to medical records and the lack of an independent review process prevent affected individuals from effectively exercising these rights. This creates a contradiction between constitutional principles and their application in reality, revealing a gap between theory and practice in the protection of fundamental rights in Cuba.
Cubalex demands that the Cuban state implement transparency measures in the management of medical records, allowing access to family members and legal representatives and ensuring the free choice of doctors for those affected. It also urges the creation of an independent review system with a public registry to prevent the use of psychiatry for repressive purposes.
Cubalex also urges the establishment of impartial oversight mechanisms to ensure that psychiatric hospitalizations are based solely on objective medical criteria, free from political influence, and that independent inspections of prisons be carried out with the participation of national and international human rights organizations. It is essential to guarantee the protection of individual rights so that the justice and health systems truly adhere to the principles of equity, dignity, and justice mandated by the Cuban Constitution and international commitments.