Almost three decades of confinement, a conviction for espionage, and years of physical and symbolic darkness mark the history of Ernesto Borges Pérez, the former Cuban official who attempted, without success, to leak information to the United States and ultimately paid with 27 years of his life in the maximum-security prison at Combinado del Este.
Less than a month after his release, Borges gave an interview with Martí Noticias in which he recounted the journey that led him from being a captain in the Counterintelligence Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) to becoming one of the most emblematic political prisoners of recent decades in Cuba.
In 1985, he was sent by the regime to study in the Soviet Union. There, amidst the era of Perestroika and Glasnost, his view of communist systems began to fracture. "The Soviet openness had a profound impact on me," he confessed.
Upon his return, now as a lawyer and counterintelligence agent, the cracks in his loyalty were evident.
In Cuba, he just became disillusioned and realized that the project he believed was ideal to meet the expectations of the Cuban people was a failure.
"During that period, I became radicalized, and there came a point when I understood that I shouldn't resign, but rather do something within my means to send a message to the Cuban state. I tried to fight from my capabilities, from my work environment, and I thought about striking at the country's national security system," he said.
In 1998, when Borges was 32 years old, he attempted to hand over a list of Cuban officials trained to spy in the U.S. to a U.S. official. He never succeeded: he was arrested on July 17 before he could complete the transfer of information.
"I prepared a package with information about my own work content: the identities of the agents I was personally training to turn them into double agents (to try to lure American intelligence services to recruit them). That was my work content and that was what I tried to pass," he detailed.
"I left the package in the garage of an American diplomat's residence here in Havana who didn't even know I existed," he added.
Ernesto emphasized that it was all his initiative; no one else knew anything.
"I made mistakes. I was not fully aware of the surveillance system that my colleagues had over the residences of American diplomats here in Havana, and they took the package," he noted.
Despite not having completed the act, he was tried for espionage in an attempted degree and sentenced to 30 years in prison, following the commutation of an initial death sentence.
"My crime was actually attempted espionage, and I was sentenced as if they had asked for the death penalty," Borges has previously reported.
His time in the regime's prisons was long, harsh, and profoundly inhumane. Ten years in unventilated cells, decades without proper medical care, and more than 20 years without being able to hug his daughter.
Today, upon being released, he suffers from cataracts that have left him nearly blind and a hernia that requires urgent surgical intervention.
Borges acknowledged the support of the Catholic Church, the Vatican, journalists like Amado Gil, and the team from Radio Martí for keeping his case in the spotlight. "Thank you for not forgetting about us", he expressed.
When asked about the Cuban regime, he sent a straightforward message: "I wish they would listen to the Cuban population, to the people of Cuba. I hope they understand that it is essential to engage in dialogue with those who think differently."
His wish, as a man who believes in God, is clear: a peaceful transition that is as least traumatic as possible.
The liberation of Borges not only returns a man to his family but also restores a long-silenced voice. A voice that, now free, rises up to demand changes in an island where thinking differently still comes at too high a cost.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ernesto Borges and His Case as a Political Prisoner in Cuba
Who is Ernesto Borges and why was he imprisoned in Cuba?
Ernesto Borges Pérez is a former Cuban intelligence officer and one of the most emblematic political prisoners in Cuba. He was arrested in 1998 after attempting to provide U.S. diplomats with a list containing the names of 26 Cuban intelligence agents. Although he did not succeed in making the delivery, he was tried for attempted espionage and sentenced to 30 years in prison, a sentence he described as excessive. His case has been repeatedly denounced by human rights organizations due to the inhumane conditions of his incarceration.
What was Ernesto Borges' experience in prison like?
Ernesto Borges endured severe conditions during his 28 years in prison. He spent a decade in unventilated cells, without adequate medical care, and he went over 20 years without being able to embrace his daughter. His health deteriorated, developing cataracts that left him nearly blind and a hernia that requires urgent surgery. Despite these challenges, Borges maintained his voice against the regime, supported by the Catholic Church and journalists who kept his case in the public eye.
What message did Ernesto Borges send to the Cuban regime after his release?
Ernesto Borges urged the Cuban regime to listen to the people and engage in dialogue with those who hold different opinions. In his message, he expressed his hope that the government understands the need for a peaceful transition that is as least traumatic as possible in Cuba. Borges, a man of faith, anticipates that change will come to improve the situation of the country and its citizens.
What impact did the release of Ernesto Borges have on the international community?
The release of Ernesto Borges was met with relief and hope by activists and opponents. His case has become a symbol of the fight for human rights in Cuba, and his release is regarded as a victory of resistance against oppression. Internationally, his case has heightened pressure on the Cuban regime to undertake democratic transformation and release other political prisoners.
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