The Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Cuba (FGR) recently held its annual meeting for 2024, a gathering where the legal and repressive apparatus of the Cuban regime congratulated itself on the reduction in the exodus of prosecutors.
“Although still insufficient, the completion of the staff stands at 76%. This signifies a fact of a containment of this personnel's exodus,” stated the vice president Salvador Valdés Mesa during his remarks.
The report from the Cuban Television News (NTV) also included the leader's comments, celebrating that the data indicated "a slight improvement compared to the previous year 2023."
"The relationship between the workers entering and leaving the system is positive, and the sources for joining the organization have diversified," concluded the vice president.
Presided over by the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, alongside Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the meeting once again served to demonstrate the subordination of the organization and the Ministry of Justice (MINJUS) to the power of the totalitarian regime.
The Prosecutor's Office, which in the past had expressed concern over the reduction of staff and the exodus of officials, welcomed the containment of a hemorrhage that coincided with the increase in repression in Cuba following the 11J and the migration crisis that ensued.
Crisis of prosecutors in Cuba and the impact of the exodus
Despite government optimism, the crisis in retaining prosecutors reached such proportions that alarms were triggered within the Cuban regime, which is always in need of officials to mask repression within the legal framework established for that purpose.
In Ciego de Ávila, for example, between 2022 and 2023 28 resignations of prosecutors were recorded, surpassing the 22 that occurred in the previous five years. This situation has left the Provincial Prosecutor's Office operating with just over half of its necessary staff to cover the 10 municipalities in the region.
In this context, the regime has proposed measures such as expediting the graduation of law students and recognizing the performance of young graduates with a Middle Level Technical degree in Law to fill existing vacancies.
Desertions of high-ranking judicial officials
The exodus affects not only front-line prosecutors but also high-ranking officials in the judicial system.
An emblematic case is that of Judge Melody González Pedraza, who after sentencing four young people for "attempted assault" in 2022, sought political asylum at Tampa International Airport, Florida, in May 2024.
Despite arriving with a Humanitarian Parole, U.S. authorities denied her entry due to her history in Cuba, forcing her to apply for asylum and face a legal process in U.S. territory.
Another notable case is that of Rosabel Roca Sampedro, prosecutor of the Municipal Court of Camagüey, known for her involvement in the trials against protesters from July 11, 2021.
Roca Sampedro emigrated to Mexico and, from there, applied for a visa to enter the United States through the CBPOne app. His repressive background has sparked controversy regarding his attempt to settle in U.S. territory.
Future of "revolutionary justice" in Cuba
In response to the crisis of the exodus of prosecutors and judges, Cuban authorities have attempted to emphasize the commitment of the professionals who remain in the country.
A leaked video from 2018 showed the President of the Supreme People's Court, Rubén Remigio Ferro, declaring the loyalty of judges to "the revolution" and the Communist Party above all, highlighting the lack of judicial independence in Cuba.
Six years later, during a meeting held in Artemisa, Remigio Ferro highlighted the expressions of unity and dedication from the judges and workers, emphasizing their willingness to continue in their positions despite the adversities.
However, reality shows a sustained trend of professionals leaving the judiciary, which poses significant challenges for the system of the so-called "revolutionary justice" in Cuba, an entity characterized by a lack of judicial independence and the subordination of justice to the power of the totalitarian communist regime.
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