Journalist Juan Carlos Herrera Acostaa former political prisoner known for his commitment to the fight for human rights in Cuba, died on Saturday in Syracuse, New York, due to a massive heart attack.
Herrera was 57 years old when he died. He was one of the figures who stood out as a member of the Cause of the 75. He left a legacy of bravery and resistance against the Cuban regime.
In the opposition he was a prominent figure, playing a crucial role as a member of the Council of Human Rights Rapporteurs of Cuba and national coordinator of the Youth Movement for Democracy.
Additionally, he contributed to independent journalism on the island through his work at the Eastern Free Press Agency (APLO).
His commitment to press freedom and human rights in Cuba led him to be arrested during the Black Spring of March 2003 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
He was in maximum security prison for seven years and seven months. He suffered inhumane conditions and diseases that caused heart disease. He also faced the pain of losing his only daughter and his ex-wife in a tragic car accident in 2008.
The world community recognized his struggle when Amnesty International named him a Prisoner of Conscience. His release came in 2010, after the intervention of the Catholic Church and the Spanish government in direct negotiations with the Cuban regime.
Herrera resumed his life in exile, first in Spain and then as a political refugee in the United States since 2011. He lived in Syracuse and there he resumed his activism against the regime.
He was characterized by being a critical voice not only towards the Cuban government, but also against those attitudes that, in his opinion, did not benefit the cause of freedom in his homeland.
On the eve of his death, he condemned the situation of the Russian opponent Alexei Navalny and expressed his concern about the actions of Vladimir Putin.
Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta He was born in Guantánamo on August 6, 1966. He is survived by his widow, Ileana Danger Hardy, and his parents and siblings in Cuba.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 22. His remains will be honored by family, friends and colleagues at the Mathewson-Forani Funeral Home, 206 Kinne St., East Syracuse, NY, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Burial will follow at White Chapel Memory Gardens, Dewitt, New York.
