Prison Riot in Cuba Sparks Deaths and Injuries

A recent prison riot driven by hunger at Canareta maximum security prison in Ciego de Avila, Cuba, has reportedly resulted in at least seven deaths and multiple injuries, as stated by human rights group Prisoners Defenders.

According to lawyers for the inmates, the unrest was triggered by the death of a young inmate who had been severely beaten by guards. A source, a former Cuban political prisoner speaking anonymously, revealed that the young man was found hanged after demanding food. This inmate, identified in social media posts as 20-year-old Giancarlo, had been protesting due to hunger.

“He was just a young man, really, almost a child, crying out because he was starving. They violently assaulted him. Hours later, he was discovered hanging in his cell,” claimed the source. Another inmate, also unnamed, communicated that riot control measures were being deployed, including rubber bullets and pepper spray, igniting the situation further. “The prison is in upheaval due to hunger and mistreatment by the guards,” he added. They also voiced a desire for a government more responsive to the people’s needs.

The violence began around 2 a.m. on Thursday. Reports from the Madrid-based Diario de Cuba confirmed the death toll reported by various international organizations. A statement from an inmate’s mother indicated that prisoners were chanting slogans like “Long live Trump,” “Down with Díaz-Canel,” and “Freedom.”

Javier Lalonde, Chairman of Prisoners Defenders, acknowledged that the violence persisted into Friday morning. Notably, neither the official Cuban Communist Party newspaper nor government-controlled media had acknowledged the riot at the time of reporting.

“We are genuinely worried about the situation that began last night. Local sources and inmates have confirmed the unrest depicted in the circulating videos,” stated Camila Rodríguez, director of the Cuban Prison Resource Center.

Early on Friday, José Daniel Ferrer, head of the opposition group UNPACU, reported on one of the severely injured inmates, Giorquis Vargas Ramos. Ferrer noted that Vargas was transported to Moron Hospital “covered in blood” after being struck by rubber bullets.

On Friday, the inmate’s attorney confirmed Vargas had a fractured skull and vertebrae from the attack. Another inmate, Daniel Labrada Morales, was also said to have suffered severe injuries.

The advocacy group highlighted that numerous inmates expressed their dissatisfaction due to hunger and oppression, which prompted special riot control units’ intervention, leading to multiple fatalities.

An independent Cuban outlet, 14 años de Medio, detailed that Canareta prison, where the disturbances took place, is the most secure facility in Ciego de Avila, housing over 3,000 inmates. The facility originally began construction in the mid-1960s with wooden barracks and was later expanded to a more secure high-rise surrounded by double fencing and concrete walls. Given its size and security level, it houses a significant portion of the region’s prison population.