Political Prisoner from July 11 Protests Reports Lack of Medical Care in Cuban Jail: "All I Can Do Is Rest and Wait"

Cuban political prisoner, Jorge Martín Perdomo, detained since the July 11, 2021 protests, revealed in a handwritten letter to his family that he is suffering from a herniated disc crisis without access to doctors or specialists in the prison where he is serving his sentence.

The letter, shared on Facebook by his cousin Betty Guerra Perdomo, paints a particularly distressing picture: faced with pain and a lack of medical attention, Jorge states that his only option is to remain at rest and wait for the crisis to subside.

"The issue with my spine has been ongoing or needs another treatment. I've experienced this before and know it takes a while. Ultimately, it's a herniated disc crisis, and there are no doctors here, much less specialists. All I can do is rest and wait," he wrote in his own handwriting on notebook paper.

Challenging Living Conditions

The conditions under which he sleeps do not aid his recovery either.

Jorge described that the bunk bed he uses is uneven by about five centimeters, a situation he fears could be further harming his spine. Nonetheless, he attempted to reassure his family.

"Don't worry, I'll try to switch to another one that's straight," he wrote.

The tone of the letter constantly fluctuates between denouncing the conditions he faces and trying to prevent his family, especially his mother, from getting too worried.

"Mom, this is just informative. Don't be alarmed, you know that everything passes and this is part of the process. If any specialist gives you some advice, let me know however you can, with the ibuprofen," he requested.

Communication Challenges and Isolation

The phrase highlights another difficulty the political prisoner faces: relying on his family outside the prison to try to obtain guidance on alleviating an ailment that, according to him, cannot be evaluated by a specialist within the prison.

Adding to his health problems, there is now the possibility of becoming even more isolated.

Jorge warned that communication with his family could be reduced in the coming days because, according to what he was told, authorities plan to remove the available phone and transfer it to another prison facility.

"It seems that we will be more out of touch going forward because they're going to take the phone to another prison, which they say needs it more. Speechless," he lamented.

Reflections on Political System and Familial Bond

However, the letter does not solely describe his physical ailments and the prison conditions. Jorge also reflected on the years he has been imprisoned and launched a harsh critique against the Cuban political system.

"Humanity has spent centuries proving that only the concert of freedoms ensures an individual a dignified life, but there go the 'revolutionary deities,' telling us they finally have the magic formula after 67 years of striking out. Enough already!" he wrote.

In another passage, he dedicated words to his brother, Nadir Martín Perdomo, also a political prisoner held in Quivicán prison.

"Tell my brother to keep clinging to the cross and the pure and true feeling that made us embrace it. Above the rage: love, the balm that heals hatred," he expressed.

The Martín Perdomo brothers have been deprived of their freedom for five years after participating in the historic anti-government protests of July 2021.

Both were arrested on July 17, 2021, a few days after protesting in San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque. The Provincial Court of Mayabeque sentenced them in February 2022 and later dismissed their appeal in April of the same year.

Prisoners Defenders records an eight-year prison sentence for Jorge for charges of assault, contempt, and public disorder.

During his incarceration, the family has repeatedly reported mistreatment, sanitary deficiencies, and difficulties in receiving medical attention.

In June 2025, his parents reported that a prison officer grabbed Jorge by the neck and pushed him into an area with sewage water, in a prison where, according to the family, there were also outbreaks of hepatitis and tuberculosis.

Ongoing Concerns for Brother's Well-being

Nadir's situation has also raised alarms.

Weeks ago, his mother, Marta Perdomo Benítez, denounced the lack of water in Quivicán prison and warned of the danger it posed to the health of her son, who suffers from several illnesses and requires medical care.

Despite these circumstances, Jorge ended his letter with a reference to the Book of Job and a phrase aimed at facing imprisonment without being consumed by resentment: "It is better to cry with love than with hatred."