Juan Carlos Font Agüero, a 59-year-old Cuban, finds himself detained indefinitely in the Kingdom of Eswatini—a small, absolute monarchy in Southern Africa—after being deported from the United States in November 2025. Without charges, legal representation, or a release date, Font Agüero has broken his silence in a video shared on social media, expressing his desperate wish to return to Cuba rather than seeking freedom in another country.
"I've given up. I'm already sixty years old. My entire family is in Cuba. I just want to go back there, but even that seems impossible," declares Font Agüero in a poignant message from the Matsapha prison, which was shared on Facebook by fellow Cuban, Raúl Hernández.
From Truck Driver in the U.S. to Detainee in Africa
Font Agüero recounts his arrest at a checkpoint in Buffalo, New York, where he worked as a truck driver. After spending six months in the state, he was moved through a series of locations: Montana, Texas, Alexandria (Louisiana), and Puerto Rico, eventually realizing he was being sent to Africa. The journey took three days.
"We found ourselves in Africa, in Eswatini—a country I only learned about upon arrival. It's right next to South Africa," he explains.
Intimidating Arrival and Harsh Detention Conditions
Upon arrival in Eswatini, the detainees faced a daunting scene: "The airport was shut down, and the entire military awaited us as if we were some kind of military threat. They were armed with AKMs and R15s, only lacking missiles," Font Agüero describes.
Since then, he has been held in the overcrowded Matsapha Maximum Security Correctional Center, operating at 171% of its capacity and notorious for human rights abuses, as reported by the U.S. Department of State. "There's no law here; it's whatever the king decides. We can't even have a lawyer," he laments.
The living conditions are dire, with detainees receiving two identical meals daily. "We get rice and soup at eleven in the morning and again at two in the afternoon. That's all we have here," he reveals.
A Cry for Justice
What wears him down the most is not the hunger or confinement, but the indefinite nature of his detention: "Being imprisoned without cause, without charges, without any crime, is what affects us the most."
Font Agüero accuses the three involved governments of treating them as commodities. "We were sold and bought like merchandise," he asserts, highlighting the indifference shown by Cuba, the United States, and Eswatini alike. Despite his family's efforts in Cuba, including sending letters and making appeals, no progress has been made to secure his return.
The situation is part of the Trump administration's program of deporting migrants with serious criminal records to third countries, whose home countries refuse to accept them. In May 2025, the U.S. reached an agreement with Eswatini to accept up to 160 deportees in exchange for $5.1 million in financial aid.
Legal Battles and Human Rights Concerns
Font Agüero isn't the first to face such circumstances. Cuban Roberto Mosquera del Peral arrived in Eswatini in July 2025 and went on a hunger strike in October of that year, protesting the lack of charges and legal access. His attorney, Alma David, told the AP: "My client is being held arbitrarily, and now his life is in jeopardy."
Both Human Rights Watch and local organization SWALIMO have legally challenged the agreement, but a higher court in Eswatini dismissed the case in March 2026, although the decision is under appeal. In the U.S., Federal Judge Brian Murphy declared the program illegal on February 27, 2026, citing violations of federal immigration law and due process, though it continues under different forms.
FAQs on the Eswatini Deportation Program
Why was Juan Carlos Font Agüero deported to Eswatini?
Font Agüero was deported as part of a U.S. program to send migrants with serious criminal records to third countries when their home countries refuse to accept them. Eswatini was chosen pursuant to an agreement with the U.S. government.
What are the conditions like in the Matsapha Maximum Security Correctional Center?
The facility is overcrowded, operating at 171% capacity, and has a history of human rights abuses. Detainees receive two identical meals daily consisting of rice and soup, and they lack access to legal representation.
What legal actions have been taken against the deportation program?
Human Rights Watch and SWALIMO have challenged the Eswatini-U.S. deportation agreement in court. Additionally, U.S. Federal Judge Brian Murphy ruled the program illegal for violating federal immigration laws and due process, yet the program persists in other forms.