HAVANA.- According to the World Prison Brief (WPB) report, Cuba It is in the worrying position of being the second country with the highest prison population rate in the world, surpassed only by El Salvador. Statistics provided by the WPB reveal that there are more than 700 people deprived of liberty per 100,000 inhabitants in Cuba.
Independent human rights organizations, such as Justicia 11J, Prisoners Defenders (PD), the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH), Cubalex, and the Cuban Prisons Documentation Center, have extensively documented the conditions in which these prisoners live. inmates.
According to review Cubanetunhealthy situations, abuses of power, malnutrition, overcrowding, lack of hygiene, severe punishments, prohibition of contact with family members, and even cases of torture and deaths due to medical negligence or in custody are reported.
Although the social outbreak of July 11, 2021 (11J) gave rise to hashtags such as #LookLasPrisionesDeCuba and #UEMiraLasPrisiones on social networks, intended to make the situation in Cuban prisons visible, the lack of transparency and access to official information limits precise knowledge. on prisons in Cuba, since the Cuban regime maintains strict control over the situation in these facilities.
The last international organization to supervise Cuban prisons was the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1888 and 1889. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports resulting from those visits revealed substandard conditions, physical and sexual abuse, and a general lack of compliance with international guidelines on the treatment of prisoners.
Despite some visits made by correspondents from foreign press agencies accredited in Havana, the lack of access to human rights and humanitarian organizations remains evident. Furthermore, the PD report notes a worrying increase of 194 new political prisoners in 2023, averaging more than 16 per month. The situation of these people imprisoned for political reasons is the subject of constant attention and denunciation by various organizations.
In summary, the prison situation in Cuba is critical, with reports of widespread abuse, lack of transparency, and limited access to official information. Human rights organizations continue to highlight the urgent need for attention to this problem.
Source: With information from Cubanet
