Uncertainty looms large as independent reports indicate a severe crackdown on the uprising that erupted on February 18 at Canaleta prison, located in Ciego de Ávila.
According to a testimony shared by the organization Prisoners Defenders, "A young man, practically a child, protested because he wasn't receiving food. He fainted from hunger and was brutally beaten. Hours later, he was found hanged in his cell. This incident sparked the uprising at Canaleta prison."
Witnesses report at least seven fatalities. Coffins and ambulances were seen being moved in the early hours of the morning, with cries for FREEDOM audible from a kilometer away, the report reveals.
"What happened at Canaleta, Cuba, wasn't just an incident. It was a massacre," Prisoners Defenders further asserts.
Meanwhile, independent outlets like Diario de Cuba have confirmed that Giorkis Vargas Ramos, a member of the dissident group Cuba Primero, and Yumel Rodríguez Carbó, imprisoned for a common crime, sustained serious injuries during the uprising.
Opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, who has been reporting on the incident from the onset, stated that among the deceased are Walfrido Archival, Pilita, and Eduardo Rodríguez Ulloa, known as the Chinito de Colorao.
Ferrer mentioned the possibility of around thirty injured, visits to the prison being suspended, and the likelihood of many prisoners being relocated to different provinces.
Uprising and Its Aftermath
Last Thursday, the silence of Canaleta provincial prison, known for its high-security status, was shattered by an outburst of cries, the clanging of metal, and slogans against the regime.
From within the penitentiary, audio recordings emerged featuring voices chanting "Liberty," "Homeland and Life," and "Down with Díaz-Canel," while abuses and extreme survival conditions were denounced.
The agency EFE confirmed the uprising based on reports from NGOs Prisoners Defenders and the Center for Cuban Prison Documentation (CDPC).
A prisoner’s testimony provided to the agency detailed the arrival of police reinforcements who employed "rubber bullets," "pepper spray," and physical violence to quell the protest.
According to this account, the uprising was triggered by "hunger" and "mistreatment" in the prison, alongside widespread dissatisfaction with the Cuban government.
So far, state-run media have remained silent on this serious incident.
Key Questions About the Canaleta Prison Uprising
What sparked the uprising at Canaleta prison?
The uprising was reportedly triggered by severe hunger and mistreatment within the prison, along with general discontent with the Cuban government.
How many casualties resulted from the Canaleta prison uprising?
Witnesses reported at least seven fatalities following the uprising at Canaleta prison.
What measures were taken to suppress the uprising?
Police reinforcements reportedly used rubber bullets, pepper spray, and physical violence in efforts to suppress the uprising.