Marta Perdomo released a distressing audio message on Wednesday through the Cuban Prisons Documentation Center, warning that the Quivicán prison in Mayabeque is suffering from a critical water shortage. This dire situation poses an immediate threat to her son, Nadir Martín Perdomo, a political prisoner with serious health issues requiring constant hydration.
"I am Marta Perdomo, the mother of Jorge and Nadir Martín Perdomo. This complaint we are making is because Quivicán, the prison in Quivicán, has no water," stated the concerned mother in her recording. She speculated that the water shortage might be due to transportation issues with water tankers, though the exact cause remains unclear.
What she knows for certain is the impact on her son: "When Nadir arrived at prison, his eyes were popping out for a bottle of water. What is this? How far will this go?"
Nadir, aged 41, suffers from multiple health conditions including malabsorption syndrome, gastritis, kidney colic, epilepsy, a hiatal hernia, and asthma, as documented by the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) in May 2026. His extreme low weight means that the lack of water is not just a deprivation but a direct threat to his physical well-being.
"Nadir is a sick young man, underweight, who needs to stay hydrated, like everyone, but even more so given his severe thinness," Marta Perdomo emphasized in the audio.
Compounding Hardships at Quivicán
The water scarcity is just the latest in a series of grievances the family has voiced over the conditions at Quivicán, which include food shortages, poor sanitation, and inadequate medical care. The OCDH has also highlighted the authorities' persistent refusal to grant Nadir a medical parole despite his declining health.
"On top of that, the other conditions we have, poor hygiene, health, food, everything. Nadir continues to suffer from problems in that place when he should already be on conditional release, when he should be at home," the mother lamented.
Imprisonment and Human Rights Violations
Nadir and his brother Jorge Martín Perdomo were arrested on July 17, 2021, following their participation in the July 11 protests in San José de las Lajas. In January 2022, a court sentenced them to six and eight years in prison, respectively, on charges of assault, contempt, and public disorder. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared their detention arbitrary and demanded their immediate release, a ruling ignored by the Cuban regime.
Marta Perdomo herself has faced harassment from State Security, including being barred from traveling abroad in 2022 and detained in November of that year for her activism on behalf of her sons.
In June 2025, Jorge’s parents reported an incident where the prison chief grabbed him by the neck and shoved him into an area with sewage water, in a facility plagued by outbreaks of hepatitis and tuberculosis.
Violation of International Standards
The conditions at Quivicán starkly violate the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Mandela Rules, which mandate access to potable water, adequate nutrition, and medical care as fundamental and non-negotiable standards.
Five years into what she calls an unjust imprisonment, Marta Perdomo remains steadfast in her plea: "If the conditions aren't there, return my son to my home, return my sons to my home, because they did nothing wrong, they committed no crime. I continue to demand freedom for Jorge and Nadir, they are innocent, freedom for all political prisoners."
FAQs on Quivicán Prison Crisis and Political Prisoners
What are the health conditions affecting Nadir Martín Perdomo?
Nadir Martín Perdomo suffers from several health issues, including malabsorption syndrome, gastritis, kidney colic, epilepsy, a hiatal hernia, and asthma. His condition requires constant hydration, which is compromised by the water shortage at Quivicán prison.
Why were Jorge and Nadir Martín Perdomo arrested?
Jorge and Nadir Martín Perdomo were detained on July 17, 2021, after participating in the July 11 protests in San José de las Lajas. They were sentenced to six and eight years in prison on charges of assault, contempt, and public disorder.
What international standards are violated by the conditions at Quivicán?
The conditions at Quivicán prison violate the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, or Mandela Rules, which require access to clean water, adequate food, and medical care.