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A 39-year-old Cuban citizen died in Paraguay days after being detained, in a case that his family and lawyer describe as a brutal police abuse. The story, marked by violence, threats, and neglect, has caused shock and sparked demands for justice.
Reinier José Peña, who has been living in Paraguay for nine years, was arrested in early August in Asunción, accused of attempting to steal items from a gas station.
According to reports from his partner, Yaquelin Pérez, and the family's lawyer, María Fausta Ramírez, to ABC Color Paraguay, the Cuban was beaten by at least five police officers at the Judicial Department of the National Police before being transferred to a hospital and subsequently to the Tacumbú prison, where he passed away.
In statements to the program Temprano a la Tarde Paraguay, Pérez recounted that the aggression started on August 2 over a plate that did not belong to him.
"They told him that this was not for them to eat, that they ate like people, but that the prisoners ate like pigs," he recounted.
Shortly thereafter, officers reportedly beat him repeatedly, causing dislocation of the shoulder, sore ribs, bruises on the back, a bruised knee, and seizures every few minutes due to his epilepsy.
According to Pérez, the police also threatened him to prevent him from reporting what had happened. “They told him not to say anything because it would get worse for him later”, he stated.
On August 5, Peña was taken to the Barrio Obrero Hospital, where he remained hospitalized until Friday, the 8th, when he was discharged and sent directly to the Tacumbú Penitentiary.
On Sunday the 10th, his partner tried to visit him, but friends who arrived earlier were informed that he had already passed away. “They didn’t see him in the hallways or anywhere. Right there, they found out that he had died,” Pérez recounted.
According to a preliminary autopsy report cited by ABC Paraguay, the body showed bruises and abrasions, although the exact cause of death will be confirmed after further examinations.
Lawyer Ramírez stated that the case represents a blemish on Paraguay's international image and announced legal actions to review the security footage and prosecute those responsible.
“We are in a democratic country, where torture should be eradicated”, said the lawyer, who stated that justice will be sought for the death of the Cuban.
The police version
The commissioner Walter Molinas, head of the Judicial Department, denied that Peña was beaten by police during his time in that department.
In statements to Temprano a la Tarde Paraguay, he asserted that the Cuban entered with a medical certificate, that he was hospitalized for "withdrawal syndrome" after alleged drug use, and that he did not show any serious injuries.
Molinas stated that there are security cameras recording 24 hours a day and that "it did not happen that way" as the family claims.
It also cited the medical diagnosis, which would indicate convulsive syndrome, withdrawal syndrome, and pneumonia due to aspiration.
The official confirmed that an internal inquiry will be opened and expressed hope that the autopsy "will support the evidence" backing the police version.
The Paraguayan Public Ministry has opened an investigation to clarify the case.
The contradiction between the family's accusation and the police version keeps the case under scrutiny. While the lawyer insists that it was an act of torture that must be eradicated, the police maintain that there is medical and video evidence that dismisses the abuse.
The final results of the autopsy and the review of the security cameras could determine whether the death of Reinier José Peña was due to police abuses or medical issues arising from his health condition.
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