The Cuban activist Carolina Barrero urged this Saturday for the regime to urgently release writer and journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez, whose 85-year-old mother is dying in Encrucijada and only wishes to see her son.
Zoila Pérez Chávez is agonizing alone in her home in Encrucijada, Matanzas, with metastatic cancer, and her last wish is to see her son before she passes away, the activist said in a live broadcast on Facebook.
"Let us not allow such injustice to go unpunished. Let us not turn a blind eye, let us not become complicit through silence," Barrero proclaimed on his social media, joining the calls for Barrenechea's freedom.
The opposition leader says she can't sleep since she watched the heartbreaking video shared by Cubanet last week, where Zoila tearfully confessed: "Sometimes I feel bad, I close the door because I'm afraid, I lie down and I ask God and the Virgin to let me see the dawn, because all I want before I die is to be, even if just for a month, with my son."
He also reported that the Academy of the Spanish Language of Cuba met a few days ago and did not make any statement regarding the situation of the writer and intellectual from the island.
José Gabriel Barrenechea, accused of public disorder after peacefully protesting against power outages in his municipality in November 2024, is her only living son and the only close relative who assisted her daily.
Since the death of her husband due to Covid-19—whom she shared over 65 years of life with—and her eldest son at the age of 36, Zoila has become completely dependent on Barrenechea, who provided her with food, cared for her at night, and was her primary emotional and physical support.
According to the activist Yania Suárez's report, Barrenechea's lawyer requested permission for him to visit his mother in her final days. However, the authorities of the prison La Pendiente, where he is incarcerated, informed a family member that "the son will see his mother when she dies," and denied the humanitarian pass.
This refusal has been interpreted by activists and human rights defenders as an act of psychological terror characteristic of the repressive policies of the Cuban regime.
Organizations and activists are demanding the immediate release of José Gabriel Barrenechea or, at the very least, that he be allowed to say goodbye to his mother while she is still alive.
"That they keep Barrenechea imprisoned, despite the suffering and recovery of his mother, is evidence of the psychological terror of that tyranny," denounced the campaign #LibertadParaBarrenechea on social media.
Zoila's situation reflects the human cost of political repression in Cuba: an elderly mother, abandoned amidst illness, yearning for an embrace that could be her final solace.
This week, the father of another political prisoner, Wilber Aguilar Bravo, was detained to prevent him from attending a mass, and after being released, he stated that, apparently, the only enemy of the Cuban regime is the people, Barrero recalled.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Situation of José Gabriel Barrenechea and Repression in Cuba
Who is José Gabriel Barrenechea and why is he detained?
José Gabriel Barrenechea is a Cuban writer and journalist who was arrested for participating in a peaceful protest against blackouts in Encrucijada, Villa Clara, in November 2024. He is charged with public disorder. His arrest has been viewed as part of the Cuban regime's repression against freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
What is the current situation of José Gabriel Barrenechea's mother?
The mother of José Gabriel Barrenechea, Zoila Pérez Chávez, is in critical condition due to metastatic cancer and her last wish is to see her son before she passes away. Despite her serious health condition, the authorities have denied a humanitarian permit for Barrenechea to visit her in her final days.
What have activists reported about the Cuban regime's response to this case?
Activists and human rights defenders have denounced that the refusal to allow Barrenechea to see his mother is an act of psychological terror. They believe this is evidence of the repressive policy of the Cuban regime, which employs tactics of fear and oppression to control its citizens and suppress dissent.
How is the case of José Gabriel Barrenechea being used in the international campaign?
The case of José Gabriel Barrenechea has become a symbol of political repression in Cuba. Organizations and activists have launched the campaign #LibertadParaBarrenechea to demand his immediate release or, at the very least, to allow him to say goodbye to his mother. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the situation of political prisoners in Cuba and to pressure the regime to respect human rights.
Filed under: