Cubalex reports another death in custody in Cuba. Yaciel Antúnez Antúnez, 41, a resident of Cienfuegos, died on December 6, 2025, while in state custody.
The Facebook page Nio reporting a crime He publicized the complaint and indicated that the inmate had contracted a serious illness during his confinement in the prison for people with HIV/AIDS in Santa Clara, Villa Clara, allegedly associated with poor sanitary conditions.
According to information provided to Cubalex by a family member, Yaciel—an HIV-positive patient—was in critical condition. During a family visit on November 27, he experienced intense dizziness and severe headaches, and even fainted. After his family insisted, he was taken to the infirmary, but his health continued to deteriorate.
A week later he was taken to the new Santa Clara hospital, by which time his condition was extremely serious. He went into a coma that same day.
The family was not informed in a timely manner about the seriousness of his condition. His mother found out from another inmate, traveled immediately from Cienfuegos, and by the time she was finally allowed to see him, he was already in a coma. He died on Saturday, December 6, two days after being admitted to the hospital.
The family member also alleges that, despite living with HIV, he did not receive antiretroviral treatment or other medications during his incarceration, in a context of serious medical negligence.
The death of Yaciel Antúnez Antúnez occurs in a context of lack of adequate medical care, which could constitute a serious violation of the right to life and personal integrity of a person in the custody of the State.
Deaths in custody are not isolated incidents. To date, in 2025, Cubalex has documented 39 deaths of people deprived of their liberty in prisons across the country, in contexts marked by negligence and a lack of basic guarantees.
These deaths, with no official information about their circumstances, reflect the inhumane conditions that persist in the Cuban prison system. As it explains Our report on deaths in custody, The lack of medical care, negligence, violence, and the absence of independent investigations are constants that demonstrate the lack of guarantees and the impunity of the State.
Prison authorities have an obligation to guarantee timely and adequate medical care to all persons in their custody, as well as to conduct immediate, independent, and thorough investigations into every death that occurs in state custody. The lack of response exacerbates the suffering of families and perpetuates impunity.