The recently released political prisoner and Dama de Blanco, Aymara Nieto Muñoz, broke her silence this Tuesday after her arrival in the Dominican Republic, describing her daughters' disbelief at seeing her free after more than eight years of confinement due to her opposition activism.
“I asked the girls in the morning if they were happy with their mom being free, and they said: ‘Right now I can't believe it, mom, I think you are on leave,’” Nieto recounted in an interview with the human rights activist and commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), Rosa María Payá, who shared the dialogue on her social media platform X.
“Every visit was very hard… I had to go back to prison and separate from my daughters again. My mom suffered a lot,” she added.
Nieto explained that his departure was the result of a direct threat from the State Security Department. “Either prison or leaving the country”.
According to her account, she was taken directly from the prison to the airport, without being allowed to go home or say goodbye to her entire family.
“I was detained until the very last moment... they themselves took me to the airport. They never let me go home. As soon as they knew I had my papers ready, they didn’t want to give me peace in anything,” said the opposition member, who expressed gratitude for the support of numerous organizations, activists, and international voices that denounced her case for years.
The arrival of Nieto in Santo Domingo with her husband, former political prisoner Ismael Boris Reñí, and their two underage daughters took place on Monday, August 11, while their eldest daughter remained in Cuba, whom she was unable to see before leaving.
Conditional release tied to leaving the Island is a practice that organizations like Prisoners Defenders and activists have denounced as a flagrant violation of international law.
Nieto had initially been sentenced to four years in prison for "assault" and "damage" following a violent arrest in 2018.
In 2022, when she was about to complete that sentence, she was sentenced again for “disorder in a penal institution” during a riot in Guatao in 2020, receiving an additional five years and four months, in a trial reported as manipulated by State Security.
During her confinement, she was moved over 600 kilometers away from her family, which prevented her from seeing her daughters for years. She suffered from depression, high blood pressure, and dengue, and on several occasions, she reported the lack of proper medical attention.
Now free, although far from her homeland, Nieto assured that she will continue her activism. "I never thought I was alone... and now I hope to keep fighting to free many political prisoners who are going through the same," she said.
Frequently Asked Questions about the exile of Aymara Nieto Muñoz and her arrival in the Dominican Republic
Why was Aymara Nieto Muñoz exiled to the Dominican Republic?
Aymara Nieto Muñoz was exiled as part of a practice by the Cuban regime that conditions the release of political prisoners on their departure from the country. She was taken directly from prison to the airport without the chance to say goodbye to her entire family, as a measure of pressure and control by the Cuban State.
What charges did Aymara Nieto face during her imprisonment?
Aymara Nieto was initially sentenced for "assault" and "damage" following a violent arrest in 2018. Later, in 2022, she was sentenced again to five years and four months for "disorder in a correctional facility" during a riot in 2020. Both trials were reported as manipulated by State Security.
How has exile impacted Aymara Nieto's family?
The exile of Aymara Nieto has divided her family, as her eldest daughter was unable to leave Cuba and did not have the chance to say goodbye to her mother. The measure forced the family to move to the Dominican Republic, where Nieto seeks to continue her activism away from her homeland.
What is the stance of international organizations regarding the case of Aymara Nieto?
Organizations like Prisoners Defenders have characterized Aymara Nieto's case as an exile, a practice prohibited by international law. The international community has condemned the violation of human rights in such measures, emphasizing the use of exile as a tool of political repression by the Cuban regime.
Filed under:
