"They beat him to death, they tortured him": Mother of Manuel Guillén Esplugas denounces her son's death in prison

Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas, the 29-year-old political prisoner who died this Saturday in the Combinado del Este prison in Havana, was allegedly murdered by hitmen from the Cuban regime, according to complaints from his mother.

In statements to Martí Noticias, Dania María Esplugas Falcó denied the official version that attributed the young man's death to suicide and accused the prison authorities of murdering him, covering up the crime, and lying to his family.

"They beat him to death, tortured him, struck him, broke his nose, hanged him with a military belt, stomped on him, and hit him so hard that his lung was ruptured. That’s why he died of asphyxiation; he urinated on himself from the blows. It was a horrific death," declared Esplugas Falcó to the cited outlet.

The young man was serving a six-year prison sentence for the crime of "damage" after participating in the historic protests of July 11, 2021. According to his mother, at the time of his death, Guillén Esplugas was in a punishment cell, allegedly for attempting to escape from prison.

“They tied his hands to beat him and put a belt around his neck until they killed him,” he added. Relatives of Guillén Esplugas shared images that show injuries to his head, back, and neck, all of which provide evidence supporting the version of torture reported by his loved ones.

The young man's mother also pointed out that State Security agents pressured Guillén Esplugas to collaborate with them, but he firmly refused, which she claims cost him his life. "They wanted him to talk and switch sides, but my son said no, that's why they killed him," she stated.

The victim's cousin, Yan Franco Esplugas, supported these statements and reported on social media that Guillén Esplugas had rejected multiple attempts by State Security to recruit him.

In his testimony, Esplugas Falcó stated that he did not authorize an autopsy, but the report provided by the authorities determined that his son died from asphyxia. Despite the claims, calls from Martí Noticias to Combinado del Este for answers went unanswered.

The mother, visibly affected, concluded with a call for justice and solidarity: "I want justice for the death of my son. He was a wonderful boy. To me, he is the greatest little giant in the world; that is my little boy. I want mothers like me, who have children in prison—political prisoners and common prisoners—to see a mother's pain, to fight for their children, and to protest because, just as they did it to me, they can do it to their children as well."

Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas was a member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and a proponent of the Cuba Decide project. His case has sparked a wave of protests and expressions of grief among civil society, the families of political prisoners, and human rights organizations that challenge the repression and impunity of the Cuban totalitarian regime.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Death of Manuel de Jesús Guillén and Repression in Cuba