They are seeking help for a professor and independent journalist in a delicate state of health in Havana

Activists have made an urgent appeal for help for the independent Cuban professor and journalist Reinaldo Emilio Cosano Alén (El Profe), 82 years old, who is in a serious health condition and is surviving in precarious conditions in Guanabo, Havana.

Yenier Toledano Torres, who is leading a humanitarian project, requested on social media the support of individuals who can donate bed sheets and disposable diapers for Cosano, and help alleviate the "critical situation" in which it finds itself.

“Every time I receive a request for help and sometimes cannot respond due to lack of resources, it hurts so much,” Toledano expressed on his Facebook profile, where he also posted a video that shows the sad reality of the Cuban intellectual.

The call has found receptive ears, and several people have already expressed their willingness to collaborate and even provide any other type of material support.

The political prisoner and exile José Batista Falcón has joined the campaign, requesting the cooperation of organizations in exile and supportive individuals.

Anyone wishing to help can contact Toledano at the number +53 5023 3912.

Reinaldo Emilio Cosano Alén, born in the Cuban capital in 1943, holds a degree in Philology from the University of Havana and taught for 20 years in the general education system.

Cosano was a professor of Spanish and Literature at the Amador López Mosquera Basic Secondary School in the town of Guanabo, in the municipality of East Havana, where in 1991 the academic secretary reported him to the administration for writing a letter outlining the issues in education in Cuba.

He was removed from the educational system for lacking "political suitability", a sanction that was upheld by the Ministry of Education.

“The incident served as a reason for his expulsion, even though he was already being monitored by State Security for his association with the human rights movement,” stated the Observatory of Academic Freedom (OLA) in a review of the professor published this Monday on social media platform X.

After being separated from his professional work, Cosano dedicated himself entirely to intellectual tasks within the political dissent, playing a significant role in initiatives such as the Cuban Council and the Independent Pedagogues College of Cuba. He was also a member of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights and participated in the Cuban Democratic Coalition.

From the island, he worked for over a decade as a freelance journalist for CubaNet and Martí Noticias, until his delicate health condition and age allowed him to do so.

“Like many teachers discriminated against for their beliefs in Cuba, they do not have the right to a pension, not even considering the two decades of uninterrupted teaching and their impeccable service record while they were allowed to remain in the classrooms,” OLA reported.

The case of Cosano also reflects a national tragedy: the elderly -the most vulnerable and unprotected individuals in society- are surviving in dire conditions, grappling with food shortages, inflation, and a lack of medications and adequate medical care.

Frequently asked questions about the situation of retired teachers in Cuba