U.S. Denounces Death of Cuban Political Prisoner and Issues Warning to Regime

The United States government has condemned the death of Cuban political prisoner Yoleisy Oviedo Rodríguez in a forced labor camp in Cuba, issuing a stern warning to the island's regime. The State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs took to social media platform X, labeling Oviedo Rodríguez's death as "murder at the hands of her captors."

"This is yet another instance where the Cuban regime stands as an adversary to its own people: They have left two children motherless. Yoleisy was imprisoned for exercising her rights. Those who continue to violate freedom should not expect impunity," the statement declared.

Death at El Guatao Forced Labor Camp

The Cuban Prison Documentation Center confirmed that Yoleisy Oviedo Rodríguez passed away on the morning of February 11 at the El Guatao Forced Labor Camp in Havana. The Cuban regime has yet to disclose the exact cause of her death, though numerous reports suggest she had been suffering from health issues for months without receiving necessary medical care.

At 44, Oviedo Rodríguez was a mother of two children. She was arrested after participating in a peaceful protest on October 10, 2022, in the municipality of Güines, Mayabeque, against the prolonged blackouts affecting the population. On November 20, 2023, she was sentenced to five years in prison.

Initial Refusal to Release Body to Family

Activist Marcel Valdés reported that prison authorities initially refused to release Oviedo Rodríguez's body to her family. Her son visited the prison seeking answers and was told the body would be handed over at 7 PM on the day of her death. However, nearly 24 hours later, her remains were transferred under heavy security to the Calzada and K funeral home in Havana.

Yoleisy Oviedo Rodríguez's death has sparked outrage among Cuban activists and dissidents, who believe she was the victim of a systematic government strategy to break political prisoners. The organization Cubalex highlighted that "deaths in Cuban prisons are becoming increasingly common, reflecting a penitentiary system where inmates face mistreatment, severe malnutrition, and untreated illnesses, without access to justice or minimum survival conditions."

Rising Death Toll in Cuban Prisons

The case of Yoleisy Oviedo Rodríguez adds to a troubling list of political and common prisoners who have died under the Cuban regime's custody in recent months. This week alone, two Cuban inmates reportedly died at Boniato Prison in Santiago de Cuba, allegedly due to extreme malnutrition and institutional neglect.

In 2024, Cubalex published a report on repression in Cuba, documenting at least 26 deaths of individuals in custody within Cuban prisons. The lack of access to food, medical care, and hygiene conditions were identified as crucial factors in these fatalities.

Washington Warns of Imminent Transition in Cuba

Amidst these allegations, Mauricio Claver-Carone, Donald Trump's special envoy for Latin America, asserted that a political transition in Cuba is "probably imminent." "The Cuban government is likely at its weakest point. People have always said this, but now it's true," Claver-Carone stated to POLITICO magazine.

He believes that the Cuban people's desire for change is "overwhelming" and even the regime's leaders recognize that a shift towards democracy is inevitable. Claver-Carone, a Cuban-American born in Miami, played a significant role in formulating hardline policies against regional dictatorships during Trump's first term. He opined that the current administration will be "very creative" in fostering changes in Cuba.