Authorities at La Bellotex prison in Matanzas again prevented activist Sonia Álvarez, a member of the Ladies in White, from entering on March 4 when she tried to visit her daughter, political prisoner Sayli Navarro, who was imprisoned after the protests of July 11, 2021.
Félix Navarro, an opposition leader and political prisoner, told Cubalex that, on this occasion, an officer identified as “Fernando” appeared before the visit and asked to speak with the family members outside the prison.
There, the officer informed them that they had orders not to allow entry to anyone wearing white. Sonia Álvarez, an activist and Sayli Navarro's mother, responded that she had attended many events wearing white without ever being denied entry. However, the officer argued that wearing white is a form of protest and that by using that color, they were "provoking" someone.
Despite this arbitrary restriction, Félix Navarro was allowed into the visit and, unlike previous occasions, was not told where to sit. During the meeting, Sayli Navarro reaffirmed her resolve against the harassment by prison authorities, who, under orders from State Security, intimidate and threaten her with reprisals for denouncing the living conditions and human rights violations within the prison.
In the afternoon, Félix Navarro went to the Military Prosecutor's Office to file a complaint. There, he was attended to by Prosecutor Fabián, who referred him to the Citizen Services Office of the Ministry of the Interior.
In that office, Major Bárzaga tried to justify the ban, claiming that prison officials determine the rules regarding clothing. Navarro responded that the Prison Regulations establish no restrictions on the color of clothing, thus refuting the authorities' argument.
Without responding to his argument, the major remained silent and told him to wait in the room, while he left with his parole letter, a benefit he received after his release from prison in January. Minutes later, he returned and informed him that the Prosecutor's Office would respond to his complaint after questioning the officers in question.
We denounce these reprisals against the families of political prisoners in Cuba. The ban on visits for wearing white is not only political repression, but also a form of discrimination that violates freedom of expression and freedom of religion.
These repressive practices violate the fundamental rights of those imprisoned for political reasons, but also punish their families with arbitrary restrictions, harassment, and reprisals.