The Cuban political prisoner Virgilio Mantilla Arango denied from the Kilo 7 prison in Camagüey the rumors about his alleged death and denounced in a harrowing testimony the inhumane conditions faced by inmates in Cuba. “There is no guarantee of life or human integrity here,” warned the dissident, who has been imprisoned since 2021 for his activism.
In an audio released by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH), Mantilla reported that the prisoners are experiencing a critical situation of malnutrition and medical neglect: “We are condemned here to death, not to deprivation of liberty. All the prisoners are malnourished, they are sick,” he stated.
The opposition member detailed that the food consists of “boiled water with salt and green onions,” sometimes with three or four grains of peas or floating rice. “They are serving us fish broth as the main dish. It can't even be called ground meat or mashed. It’s broth as well. And 60 grams of rice which a two-year-old eats and is still left hungry,” he denounced.
Regarding medical care, he stated that he hasn't seen a specialist or received medication in over three years. “Here, the doctors only conduct a spiritual consultation. They ask you, ‘Where does it hurt?’ and then tell you to find some duralgina or paracetamol from another inmate,” he recounted.
Mantilla also reported that prisoners who speak out are punished: “They take away your parole, your sentence reduction, your right to work. And if you report what happens here, they send a prisoner to beat you with sticks.”
He stated that the regime uses paramilitary prisoners as a mechanism for internal repression: “They hit, they break, they fracture, and nothing happens, because they follow the orders of their superiors. They are creating chaos so that the prisoners fight among themselves while they wash their hands like Pontius Pilate.”
The testimony concludes with a warning that sounds like a farewell: “Virgilio is still alive. But he may perish like many of us here due to lack of food and medical attention. Let the world know this.”
Virgilio Mantilla is serving a sentence of three years and three months for the alleged crime of "damage to property" after writing anti-government phrases in public spaces. He is the founder of the Camagüeyana Unit for Human Rights and has been a victim of multiple arrests, hunger strikes, and reprisals for his activism. In 2022, he had already denounced the lack of water, hygiene supplies, and food in Kilo 7.
The conditions reported by Mantilla coincide with the general deterioration of the Cuban penitentiary system. In the first six months of 2025 alone, there have been at least 24 deaths in prisons and 160 reports of torture, according to the Cuban Prison Documentation Center.
Cases like those of Alexander Díaz Rodríguez, imprisoned in Kilo 5 and a Half and on a hunger strike without medical attention, and José Daniel Ferrer, a victim of systematic beatings in Mar Verde, confirm the pattern of institutional mistreatment in the country’s prisons.
For years, the families of inmates have raised concerns about the need to provide them with food, medication, and basic hygiene products. Mothers of political prisoners have described the food as “terrible and very scarce,” and have denounced that the inmates are completely dependent on external support to survive.
Organizations such as Cubalex and the Initiative for Research and Advocacy have called for the intervention of international bodies and the opening of the Cuban prison system to independent observers.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Situation of Political Prisoners in Cuba
What is the current situation of Virgilio Mantilla Arango in prison?
Virgilio Mantilla Arango, a Cuban opponent imprisoned since 2021, has denounced the inhumane conditions at Kilo 7 prison in Camagüey. Mantilla describes a critical situation of malnutrition and lack of medical care, stating that prisoners receive "boiled water with salt and scallions" as food. Furthermore, he has indicated that those who report these conditions are severely punished.
How does the Cuban regime affect political prisoners according to the reports?
Reports of abuse in Cuban prisons are frequent and range from malnutrition to physical violence and lack of medical attention. Political prisoners are subject to reprisals, such as beatings and sanctions from prison authorities and paramilitary inmates. These abuses are part of a strategy to repress those who oppose the regime.
What measures have been requested to improve the situation of prisoners in Cuba?
Human rights organizations have called for the intervention of international bodies to monitor conditions in Cuban prisons. The opening of the penitentiary system to independent observers and the cessation of reprisals against political prisoners has been requested. The international community has been urged to act in response to the systematic repression faced by dissidents on the island.
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