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The Cuban activist Anamely Ramos González raised her voice once again to denounce the situation of more than 700 political prisoners who, according to human rights organizations, remain incarcerated in Cuba.
Through a video shared on social media, the art teacher stated that the country’s prisons have become “centers of death,” where constant human rights violations are reported, including deaths due to lack of medical assistance, mistreatment, prolonged isolation, and arbitrary transfers.
I do it because in Cuba we still have 700 political prisoners. Because Cuban prisons have become centers of death where every week we have to mourn someone who has died or someone who is denied medical assistance,” stated Ramos González in the video.
At the same time, he criticized the recent process of releases carried out partially by the regime, which he described as “a farce” that left many innocent people in dungeons, whose only "crime" was raising their voices to denounce injustices and protest against the lack of rights and freedoms under the dictatorship.
From release to despair
At the beginning of March, the Cuban regime publicly announced a series of releases under vague criteria. However, independent investigations—such as those published by Prisoners Defenders and independent media—revealed that it was a selective and limited process, in which most political prisoners remained behind bars.
"Many of these prisoners spent entire nights awake waiting to be taken away, thinking that the sound of the bars was the sound of freedom," denounced Ramos González.
The activist also highlighted the psychological impact of these events on inmates, mentioning Duannis Dabel León Taboada as an example of a depressed prisoner who refused to talk to his family for days after not being released.
The Mothers: Silent Victims of the Regime
In his message, Ramos González highlighted the mothers of prisoners, women who endure not only the separation from their children but also the harassment from the repressive apparatus of the State.
The activist also highlighted the case of Cuban mothers imprisoned for their protests and denunciations, such as Lisandra Góngora, a mother of five—three of whom are minors—who has been incarcerated and moved more than 300 kilometers away from her home, a distance that prevents her children from visiting her regularly.
"I do it for the mothers, the elderly grandmothers, the little sisters who are waiting for those prisoners to return home. And yet they have to endure the threats from State Security simply for being a mother, simply for demanding justice," affirmed Ramos González, who experienced the trauma of forced uprooting firsthand. Since 2021, he has been prevented from returning to Cuba.
Ramos González, a Bachelor’s degree holder in Art History from the University of Havana and a professor at the Higher Institute of Art (ISA) in Havana until she was expelled due to her activism, actively participated in the San Isidro Movement (MSI). She has been a key figure in the international denunciation of the imprisonment of artists and activists on the island. From exile, she has continued her fight for human rights and the freedom of political prisoners in Cuba.
Voices from Prison: Maykel Osorbo and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
Two central figures in this struggle from within the prisons are Maykel Castillo Pérez —artistically known as Maykel Osorbo— and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. Both are activists and artists who founded the San Isidro Movement (MSI), and they have been detained since 2021 for participating in peaceful protests and expressing critical views against the Cuban government.
In a message sent from the maximum-security prison in Pinar del Río, Maykel Osorbo expressed: “Strength to endure an ambush requires strength... even in tough times I acted with strength... My enemies ambushed me, but I had strength, on the brink of death, I always had the certainty that the Most High crowned me with great strength.”
Born in Havana in 1983, Maykel is a rapper, activist, and political prisoner. He is the co-author of “Patria y Vida,” the protest anthem that became a symbol of the demonstrations on July 11, 2021. He was arrested in May 2021 and sentenced in 2022 to nine years in prison. He has faced health issues while incarcerated and has been subjected to severe isolation measures.
Otero Alcántara, for his part, sent a poetic message through the activist Claudia Genlui: “Today, I find it impossible to move my hands, my feet, or my mouth, but I have to do something, something that breaks my stillness. No one expects anything from the other. I must do something, even if they are not expecting it and do not join me.”
Visual artist and activist born in 1987, he has been internationally recognized for his political art and open opposition to the regime. In 2021, he was arrested after announcing that he would participate in the protests on July 11th.
Since then, he has been confined in a maximum-security prison. Amnesty International has declared him a prisoner of conscience. His health has deteriorated due to hunger strikes and conditions of isolation.
Protest in Miami and global call
In his message, Ramos González called for participation in the protest held this Friday in Little Havana, Miami, as part of an international campaign for the freedom of all Cuban political prisoners.
This action was part of a wave of global demonstrations aimed at raising awareness of the repression in Cuba and demanding justice.
"We must understand that if we do not reclaim our country, this whole process of uprooting, insecurity, and precariousness will not come to an end," Ramos warned. "When I think of the word 'Homeland,' I think of the faces of those young people, and I also think of the word 'Mother'."
The imprisoned youth: a homeland without a future
Organizations like Prisoners Defenders have reported that a significant portion of political prisoners are young people under 30. Many were arrested following the protests of July 11, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets to demand freedom and improvements in their living conditions. The authorities responded with repression, harsh sentences, and arbitrary detentions.
"The prison in Cuba is currently a tool of political control and punishment. The systematic imprisonment of youth, artists, and activists aims to instill fear and eliminate dissent," warn analysts consulted by CiberCuba.
A call to action
The denunciation by Anamely Ramos González is not merely an exposition of injustices, but a call for collective action from the diaspora and international civil society. In her words: “I do not seek to save myself. I just know that I must do something.”
In a country where the word "Freedom" has been criminalized, the echo of these messages resonates strongly among those who believe that Cuba's future hinges on the freedom of its political prisoners and the reconstruction of a homeland free from repression and exile.
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