Father of two young Cubans recruited by Russia: "I am living hell"

The father of two young Cubans recruited by the Russian government to fight in the war in Ukraine has been living hell for days, after learning that one left and the other is imprisoned accused of mercenarism.

Pedro Roberto Gamuza, 59 years old, toldAFP that has passed critical days.

"I haven't slept for a weekend," he stressed.

A little over a week ago, his sonLiogi Gamuza Pérez, 34 years old, called him to tell him that he was summoned by State security for the crime of mercenarism.

Pedro claims that his son was the victim of deception, he recalled that he did not do military service due to a health problem with his spleen and that he has no training.

He added that he does not have papers or a passport, and that when visiting him in State Security facilities, the young man told him that he did not sign any contract.

Now Pedro, a factory maintenance operator, hired the services of a lawyer for his son's legal process.

From his other son,Robeisi Alexander, 33, has not heard anything since his wife and mother of his daughter told him that she had gone to Russia, a month and a half ago. The young man has not communicated further with anyone in the family.

Last week, the programReasons for Cuba, from Cuban television, offered the testimony of this father, who spoke of an "error" that could be corrected with the help of "the MININT colleagues."

"I have tothank my colleagues from the Ministry of the Interior because they caught him [by Leogi] right away and they transformed his head... I don't know how they spoke, but for the better... They spoke for the better, because he reconsidered and chose to stay here," he said then.

Pedro thanked the investigative process for having retained his son, because if not, "he would have lost him too!" he said, alluding to the situation of his other son, about whom he knows nothing.

In the same program, the presenterHumberto Lopez He also interviewed José Luis Reyes Blanco, Chief Prosecutor of the Directorate of Criminal Proceedings, who warned that the crime of mercenarism can be punished with sentences of up to 30 years of deprivation of liberty, perpetual deprivation of liberty and the death penalty.

The Castro regime denies its direct participation in the war conflict.

After confirming the presence of Cuban mercenaries hired by the Russian Army, Cuba remained silent until on Monday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared thatThey are not sending young people to the war in Ukraine, and that the MININT works to dismantle a human trafficking network for military recruitment purposes.

Barely 72 hours later, Havana announced thearrest of at least 17 people linked to a human trafficking network that operates in Russia and Cuba.