The death under suspicious circumstances of the young Cuban Félix Lázaro Reinoso Rodríguez, 32 years old, has sparked a wave of outrage among activists, family members, and human rights observers both within and outside of Cuba.
The case was initially reported on June 27 by the blog Cubains en liberté, which described the event as a new crime of the Cuban regime. The report was further supported by the intellectual and professor from Matanzas Alina Bárbara López Hernández, who shared more details of the case through her social media.
Félix Lázaro was arrested on the night of June 23rd at his home in the municipality of Jovellanos, Matanzas province.
According to witnesses cited in the blog and statements from relatives, a brigade of agents from the Revolutionary National Police and State Security arrived during a blackout to arrest him, claiming that he was under investigation for allegedly purchasing automobile parts of illicit origin.
Three days later, the young man's wife was urgently alerted to come and sign a contract with the lawyer, but on her way, she received a call that would completely change the course of events: Félix Lázaro had supposedly “escaped” from the "Técnico" in Matanzas.
Both she and the aunt of the deceased immediately went to the headquarters of State Security, where they were informed, in the presence of a lawyer, that during a night interrogation, the detainee had escaped "during a moment of negligence on the part of the instructor."
The official version states that the young man fled to the coast and jumped from some nearby cliffs, dying instantly. His body was found hours later. However, photographs shared by his family and activists show a corpse with multiple bruises, contusions, and visible signs of violence, inconsistent with a simple fall.
Professor López Hernández, who resides in the city of Matanzas and has been under constant surveillance by the authorities, questioned the account of the alleged suicide.
"It seems unbelievable that the State Security organs neglect their own headquarters," he wrote on Facebook. "I have been peacefully protesting in front of that building. It is inconceivable that someone could leave unnoticed from a place with a closed iron gate, a guard booth, and agents coming in and out all the time."
López Hernández also reported that Félix's family was prohibited from holding the wake in their hometown, and they were forced to conduct a private and quick funeral in Matanzas. The lack of transparency surrounding the case and the conditions imposed by the authorities have strengthened the theory that this is a death in custody, resulting from mistreatment or even torture.
"Let the whole world know what happened and how they are trying to wash their hands of it," wrote a cousin of the victim, Clau Rodríguez, while sharing the heartbreaking images of the body on social media.
The call for justice has been echoed by dozens of users, who demand an independent investigation to clarify the events and hold those responsible accountable. On his social media, independent journalist Alberto Arego highlighted what happened and the request for "justice for a Cuban found dead after being detained by State Security."
This tragic episode occurs just days before the anniversary of July 11, an emblematic date marking the social uprising that took place in 2021 in dozens of Cuban cities. For many activists, the proximity of this date heightens the tension among the regime's repressive forces and could explain the institutional nervousness and the commission of abuses.
Félix Lázaro Reinoso Rodríguez thus joins the
The family denies the official version and accuses of cover-up
In a conversation with CiberCuba, a cousin of the deceased—who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals—provided a detailed account that contradicts the official version of events and maintains that Félix Lázaro Reinoso Rodríguez was beaten to death by state agents, which she considers a clear case of abuse of power and an attempt to cover up.
“False news is spreading, blaming my cousin for being one of the suspects in the death and robbery of another boy. That is a lie. All he did was buy some car parts, unaware that they were linked to a homicide case,” he clarified.
According to family sources, Félix was arrested on Monday, June 23, at 10:00 p.m., during a blackout, by agents who took him to the Technical Department of Investigations (DTI) in Matanzas. The alleged cause was "receiving stolen goods," meaning the purchase of automotive parts of illicit origin.
The situation worsened when Félix's aunt, accompanied by a lawyer, tried to see him at the police station the following Wednesday. "They told her that she couldn't see him without an appointment. When she suggested that he might be beaten, the chief of the Matanzas Technical Department confronted her and threatened to have her detained if she continued to speak," the cousin recounted.
The next day, Thursday, when the family was returning with the lawyer for an official appointment, they were informed that Félix had "escaped" during a lapse in the investigator's attention. Twenty-four hours later, on Friday, the family was notified that his body had been found in the Bay of Matanzas with visible signs of violence.
“They told us he had drowned with a 43-pound stone, as if he had committed suicide. But that stone wasn't there when we went to identify the body,” he explained. A forensic doctor informed them that the corpse had been dead for over 48 hours, which contradicts the official account of the escape that occurred on Thursday.
The most outrageous thing, the cousin points out, was that despite being recognized by the family, the police insisted he had to be buried as a "John Doe," arguing that he had lost his fingerprints due to the water. “He was buried in a mass grave, without a wake, without dignity, and with an absurd death certificate. It is clear that he was beaten to death and then they staged this whole performance to cover their tracks.”
A doctor close to the family, who was able to see images of the body, stated that the signs do not correspond to drowning. “A person who drowns turns pale, not purple, and their eyes do not bulge. That happens due to asphyxia,” she claimed.
The family has hired lawyers and claims they will take the case to the fullest extent. “We're going to go all out. They have to pay. The more that's known, the harder it will be for them to get away with it.”
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