By Félix Maradiaga, elected WLC LC member.
On July 11, 2021, the streets of Cuba resounded with passionate chants of “liberty, homeland, and life” as thousands of citizens participated in historic, spontaneous, and peaceful protests. Three years later, it is crucial to honor the bravery of the Cuban people and continuously push for the immediate release of all political prisoners.
On that day, the island witnessed the largest protest movement in decades, with thousands demanding freedom after more than 60 years under a single-party regime that has stifled nearly every aspect of public and private life, from politics and religion to economic opportunities and access to basic goods.
Following these demonstrations against the Cuban communist regime, the dictatorship unleashed its repressive machinery. Sympathizers of the tyranny joined the security forces, armed with rifles, sticks, and bats, to brutally assault peaceful protestors. The population, already struggling with severe electricity, internet, food, and medicine shortages, faced even harsher conditions. To silence the cries for freedom, the dictatorship imprisoned thousands of innocent people who still languish behind bars.
The protests continue, and so does the regime’s relentless repression, fueled by the fear of the youth taking to the streets again. Sadly, many Cubans are leaving the country due to despair, reflecting another sign of the oppressive nature of this dictatorship. This mirrors the devastation seen in countries like Nicaragua and Venezuela, where the dictatorships have caused family separations and mass migrations, leading to national disintegration.
Since the social uprising on July 11, 2021, over a thousand people have been arbitrarily arrested. At least 671 of them have faced unjust legal proceedings. Political prisoners endure terrible conditions in Cuban jails, suffering inhumane and degrading treatment. The communist dictatorship has used imprisonment to silence the people’s demands for freedom.
People of all ages and backgrounds took to the streets on that fateful day. Among them was Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who expressed his discontent on social media like thousands of others. In an Instagram video, Otero Alcántara announced his intention to join the protests in Havana. “Family, I am going to the streets,” he declared. “Whatever it costs me. Democracy is what we want.”
Otero Alcántara has been held in a maximum-security prison since his arrest in July 2021 and has engaged in a series of hunger strikes to protest his detention. He was sentenced to five years in prison in June 2022 after a closed-door trial, and his health is deteriorating due to inadequate medical care. Despite being imprisoned, Otero Alcántara and Maykel Castillo Pérez were jointly awarded Freedom House’s annual Freedom Award in 2022.
Another poignant case is that of Lázara Karenia González Fernández, a young woman arbitrarily detained on July 11, 2021, in Matanzas for shouting “Down with the Dictatorship” during the historic protests. In May 2022, she received a sentence of three years of correctional labor with internment. At the time, Lázara was pregnant. In July, the Supreme Court postponed her imprisonment until her baby was born and turned one year old. Her son, Lucas, will celebrate his first birthday this year, and authorities have already warned Lázara that she must return to prison to serve her sentence. Similarly, Liliana Oropesa Ferrer, a 22-year-old political prisoner and mother of a newborn, is being forced to separate from her baby and return to prison.
From the World Liberty Congress, we continue to advocate for the release of political prisoners and the protection of those who raise their voices in these dark times. We also send a message of solidarity to those who continue to resist and fight for change within the island.
On the third anniversary of the protests, it is important to remember those who peacefully took to the streets to demand better living conditions and the end of a dictatorship that has lasted for more than six decades. The World Liberty Congress urges the international community not to forget those who are fighting for democracy in Cuba and to support their calls and pressures on the Cuban regime. We especially urge the global community to closely monitor events in Cuba as human rights violations and repression against dissenters continue to increase.
