Protester from July 11th Faces 10 Years in Prison if Deported Back to Cuba

José Antonio Cue Monzón, a young Cuban who was imprisoned for protesting in Matanzas during the historic July 11, 2021, demonstrations against the regime, is at risk of being deported back to Cuba, where he would face 10 years in prison.

After participating in the spontaneous uprising that erupted in more than 60 cities and towns across the country, Cue was detained and imprisoned for four months before standing trial. He was sentenced to a decade in prison for the alleged crimes of "sabotage" and "public disorder," he revealed in an interview with journalist Alexis Boentes from Telemundo51.

Upon learning of his sentence and with a set date to enter prison, Cue decided to flee Cuba. He and other Cubans built a makeshift boat using 55-gallon drums and embarked on the perilous journey across the Florida Strait.

"It was either that—throwing myself into the sea—or going to prison," Cue confessed. He carried with him to the United States a copy of Girón, the official newspaper of Matanzas, which listed his name among the July 11th protesters convicted in that province by regime courts. He also brought documents from the people's court that tried him, which serve as "evidence of a trial against him for demanding change in his country," according to Telemundo.

The July 11th Protests: A Turning Point

On July 11, 2021, Cue heard about protests in his city and decided to join. "Rumors started spreading about demonstrations on Real Street in Cárdenas. I saw it—the people unleashed, protesting like never before," he recounted.

Cue described how the protests were violently suppressed by the police. "The demonstration had gotten out of their control. They were scared. The police were scared," he stated.

What followed for hundreds of protesters, including Cue, was a nightmare that continues for those still imprisoned by the regime for peacefully protesting.

"Those cells are the most vile, most disgusting thing you can see. At night, cockroaches walk over your head. There's no water, it smells like urine. It's a sealed room with no ventilation, and it's damp. It's the most hellish place," Cue recalled with sorrow.

Knowing what awaited him back in prison, Cue fled Cuba. However, once on U.S. soil, he received a deportation order that could be enforced at any moment. His immigration lawyer, Eduardo Soto, is trying to halt the deportation order, but Cue already has a scheduled appointment with the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as reported by Telemundo51.

Facing imminent deportation, Cue recounted that he has built a new life in the United States over nearly two years and fears losing something he has come to cherish: freedom.

"I feel free, accomplished," he confessed, while pleading for "a second chance because I have much to contribute to this country."

Throughout 2024, more than a thousand Cubans have been deported back to the island from the United States and other regional countries.

In recent weeks, several cases of Cubans with I-220B forms have been reported, where individuals were detained by U.S. authorities during their immigration appointments with ICE.

In contrast, the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC), which has identified a thousand Cuban oppressors, recently reported that 117 had entered the United States since February 2023.

"Many of them lying," asserted Tony Costa, director of the NGO, in statements to Martí Noticias.