Photo: Cubalex Archive.
Two political prisoners are on hunger strike as a form of protest against the lack of protection from the authorities and the inhumane conditions in prison.
Divaldo Valcárcel González, confined In Agüica prison, in Matanzas, he has been on a hunger strike for 15 days in solitary confinement, naked. He has been imprisoned for over a year without a trial date, solely for his social media posts, and has suffered punishment and mistreatment due to his critical stance against the regime.
Rolando Yusef Pérez Morera, imprisoned The hunger strike began on September 25 at the Quivicán prison in Mayabeque. His condition is critical due to severe malnutrition and significant weight loss. Among his demands is a transfer to a prison in his home province of Artemisa, as the imposed distance generates a high economic cost and limits contact with his family, reinforcing the forced separation.
Pérez Morera's hunger strike is also a form of protest against the arbitrary denial of prison benefits to which he is entitled, such as progression to a less restrictive regime or parole. This is compounded by the constant threats of being tried again.
Prolonged hunger strikes, exacerbated by unsanitary conditions in prisons, lack of adequate medical care, poor nutrition, and cruel treatment, can have devastating and irreversible effects on the physical and psychological health of incarcerated individuals.
For both political prisoners, the hunger strike represents the only way they can demand respect for their fundamental rights in the face of abandonment, lack of protection, and abuse by prison authorities.
Update on the situation of Rolando Yusef Pérez Morera
The health condition of political prisoner Rolando Yusef Pérez Morera is critical. According to information received by Cubalex, doctors at the Quivicán prison (Mayabeque) acknowledge that his condition is very serious: he has advanced pneumonia, high fevers for several days, and extreme malnutrition, one of the most severe cases within the prison.
There are no medications available for his treatment, neither fever reducers nor antibiotics to fight the infection. His family is trying to obtain them on their own to bring to the prison, although it is unclear whether the authorities will allow them in.
During his hunger strike, Yusef Pérez demanded a change in prison regime to less severe conditions, but his request was rejected by the authorities, worsening his situation.