Luz Escobar, a Cuban journalist known for her work with the independent media outlet 14ymedio and her activism, shared a significant update on Facebook this Wednesday. She announced that Spain has granted her asylum, along with her husband, visual artist Julio Llópiz-Casal, and their daughters, under a family application.
"Yesterday, I received news that I had been anticipating for nearly four years: Spain has recognized me as a refugee and granted me asylum," Escobar wrote, sharing a photo of the official document. The document states: "To recognize the refugee status and grant asylum rights to Luzbely Escobar Pérez, a Cuban national."
Escobar arrived in Spain on October 17, 2022, initiating her international protection request on March 21, 2023. Over three years of waiting and uncertainty followed until this resolution.
Cuba's Authoritarian Regime Acknowledged
In her Facebook post, Escobar highlighted that the Spanish resolution explicitly acknowledges Cuba as a nation with an authoritarian regime, lacking elements of a representative democracy, where the Communist Party stands as the sole political party.
The document further notes the curtailment of political freedoms, the presence of arbitrary detentions and police persecution, the absence of judicial independence, and a regime-controlled media landscape that targets independent journalists and activists.
Persecution and Asylum Recognition
"The resolution finds it credible that I was persecuted for my political opinions and the views expressed in my professional capacity as a journalist. It speaks of a pattern of harassment and unjustified arrests," Escobar recounted.
The resolution concludes that her case meets the criteria set by the 1951 Geneva Convention.
In Cuba, Escobar faced systematic repression: interrogations, constant surveillance, house arrests, and travel bans. Since May 2019, she was "regulated" under Article 25 of the Migration Law, preventing her from traveling abroad due to being deemed a "public interest" person.
Family Targeted by Repression
In February 2022, Cuban immigration authorities even denied her passport renewal. The tipping point for seeking exile came when the regime also began targeting her daughters.
Reflecting on the wait, Escobar mentioned warnings from some who doubted she would receive protection. She recalled, "A worker from an NGO told us we wouldn't get protection because if we returned to Cuba, they wouldn't kill us." She challenged this notion by asking, "Since when is the sole reason for protection the risk of being killed?"
Continuing her journalistic work from exile, Escobar dedicated the recognition to those still in Cuba. "I think of journalists working under pressure, political prisoners, activists, artists, families living in fear, and all who have had to leave because they found no other way," she expressed.
"I will continue to do journalism. I will keep telling Cuba's story," Escobar concluded.
The Journey of Julio Llópiz-Casal
Her husband, Julio Llópiz-Casal (born in Havana, 1984), is a visual artist and graphic designer. He is part of the 27N movement—a group of artists and intellectuals who gathered on November 27, 2020, in front of the Ministry of Culture in Havana to demand freedom of expression.
The State Security also threatened and monitored Llópiz-Casal. Upon returning to Cuba from Spain in February 2022, he was interrogated at the airport and warned that he would be under surveillance.
FAQs About Asylum and Persecution in Cuba
What prompted Luz Escobar to seek asylum in Spain?
Luz Escobar sought asylum in Spain due to systematic repression in Cuba, including interrogations, surveillance, house arrests, and the targeting of her family by the regime.
How does Spain's resolution describe the political situation in Cuba?
The resolution highlights Cuba as an authoritarian regime with restricted political freedoms, arbitrary detentions, police persecution, lack of judicial independence, and a controlled media environment.