Following its repeated threats, the Cuban regime revoked the conditional release of the opposition figure Donaida Pérez Paseiro this Wednesday, who must return to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.
According to the information published on Facebook by the Provincial Popular Court of Villa Clara, the revocation is due to the “failure to comply with obligations” associated with the probation regimen, including their absence from a court summons and the alleged noncompliance in the “workplace”.
The judicial authority cites articles 149, 150, and 172 of the Penal Execution Law, as well as article 128.1 of Decree Law 74 of 2023, as the legal basis for its decision. The ruling orders that Donaida Pérez serve the remainder of her sentence in a correctional facility.
Pérez Paseiro, a member of the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba, had been released in January 2025 as part of a group of 553 sentenced individuals -mostly common prisoners- benefited by early release measures. The activist was convicted for the alleged crimes of contempt, assault, and public disorder.
Reactions: denunciation of political repression
The journalist and academic José Raúl Gallego reacted immediately to the news, describing the decision as “another arbitrariness of the Cuban regime.” He pointed out that Donaida Pérez is the third opposition figure to be imprisoned again following conditional release, along with José Daniel Ferrer García and Félix Navarro Rodríguez.
"Since her release, Donaida has only exercised her right to express herself freely and to demand the release of her husband, political prisoner Loreto Hernández, who is also in serious health condition," stated Gallego.
He also questioned the recent agreements that allowed for some releases, labeling them as “poor, limited, and done behind the backs of civil society, political prisoners, and their families.”
Meeting with U.S. diplomats
Donaida Pérez Paseiro had held a meeting with Mike Hammer, the United States ambassador to Cuba, in a symbolic gesture of openness towards dialogue with members of the opposition.
His return to prison raises alarms about the lack of real guarantees for freedom of expression and association on the island, especially when it involves activists who have been highlighted in diplomatic spaces.
The revocation occurs in a context of increasing criminalization of activism, selective repression, and surveillance of those who, from within the island, dare to publicly challenge the power.
Donaida Pérez Paseiro, a story of struggle
Born in 1971, Donaida Pérez Paseiro is known for her role as president of the Association of Free Yorubas in Cuba, an independent Santería community on the island.
On July 11, 2021, Pérez Paseiro participated in the anti-government protests on the island.
On July 16, 2021, she voluntarily surrendered to the authorities in compliance with an arrest warrant against her. She was subsequently charged with public disorder, contempt, and assault against a public official.
In February 2022, the People's Municipal Court of Santa Clara sentenced her to eight years in prison. Since then, she has been confined in the Guamajal women's prison in Santa Clara, Villa Clara province.
The situation of Pérez Paseiro raised international concern, particularly regarding his health, as he suffers from hypertension and diabetes, conditions that worsened during his imprisonment.
In December 2021, she was transferred to a hospital after experiencing vomiting with blood and abdominal pain. In July 2022, she developed symptoms of COVID-19 and was isolated in prison.
Organizations such as Amnesty International have recognized Pérez Paseiro as a prisoner of conscience and have been calling for his immediate and unconditional release, arguing that his detention was solely due to his peaceful participation in protests and his religious leadership.
Her husband, Loreto Hernández García, who serves as vice president of the same religious association, was also arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison for his participation in the protests on July 11.
The detention and conviction of Pérez Paseiro and her husband have been denounced as violations of religious freedom and expression in Cuba, leading to international calls for their release.
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