Five Years On: The Call to Support 11J Protesters

On the fifth anniversary of the significant protests that took place on July 11, 2021, the organization known as Justicia 11J released a powerful video this Saturday. Featuring testimonials from family members, artists, and activists, the video serves as a poignant reminder of that historic day and urges the global community not to abandon those who remain imprisoned for standing up and taking to the streets.

The video compilation includes voices from notable figures such as José Daniel Ferrer, Haydée Milanés, historian Alina Bárbara López, actress Susana Pérez, actor Alberto Pujol, mothers Marta Perdomo and Yenisey Taboada, father Wilber Aguilar, Johana Cilano of Amnesty International, and activists Tata Poet and Anna Bensi.

Ferrer, an opposition leader who was exiled to Miami in October 2025 after enduring over three years in prison, delivered the video’s central warning: “A cause will not succeed if it abandons or leaves behind those who have the courage to rise up, protest, and stand against oppression and poverty.”

Historian Alina Bárbara López highlighted the event's historical significance, stating, “As a historian, it convinced me that Cuba was never, and will never be, an exception to the way historical events unfold.”

One of the most heart-wrenching accounts in the video comes from Wilber Aguilera, father of political prisoner Walnier Luis Aguilera: “It’s been five years since he walked out that door, and he hasn’t been able to come back. It’s an immense pain we endure as a family, seeing him for just two hours monthly in visitation rooms.”

Similarly, Taboada, whose son Duannis León remains imprisoned, shared, “Our family has never been the same because we’re missing a key member—my son, brother, grandson, friend, neighborhood barber.” She added, “I witnessed my son’s trial, and it was unjust. There was no true justice.”

Johana Cilano from Amnesty International painted the grim picture with concrete numbers: “Today, over 800 people are detained for political reasons in the country, with nearly half arrested for participating in the 11J protests.” Cilano described the date as “an open wound of human rights in Cuba” and called for the international community to demand an end to the repression.

The video also issues a stark warning about the prisoners' mental state: “Their greatest danger is not just perishing in prison, but losing their soul, the purity of their soul,” cautioned Susana Pérez.

Amnesty International's figures contrast with the 1,306 political prisoners recorded by Prisoners Defenders as of June 2026, of whom 338 were convicted directly for their involvement in the 2021 protests.

The regime’s pardon in April 2026, which saw the release of over 2,000 inmates, pointedly excluded those convicted of “crimes against authority,” a legal term used to criminalize the 11J protesters. On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Havana called for the release of these political prisoners in commemoration of the anniversary.

Justicia 11J launched the campaign #FiveYearsWithoutJustice with a message encapsulating their stance: "There are situations that cannot be fully explained with data alone. Stories are needed to provide understanding."

Marta Perdomo, mother of brothers Nadir and Jorge Martín Perdomo, detained by the regime, concludes the video with a vow that embodies the campaign’s spirit: to demand freedom “until the end, until they are free.”