Juan Carlos Font Agüero, a 59-year-old Cuban citizen, was deported from the United States and sent to the Kingdom of Eswatini in southern Africa after the Cuban regime refused to accept him back.
His family on the Island has been living a nightmare ever since, praying for his return before he dies in prison, sick, far from home, and in a country where he had never set foot.
The case has been confirmed by official U.S. sources to journalist Mario J. Pentón from Martí Noticias, who also received statements from the family and verified that Havana rejected his repatriation multiple times.
Meanwhile, Font Agüero remains incarcerated without a formal conviction or release date.
A forced relocation, blindly and without a clear destination
Yessica de la Caridad García Negrín, stepdaughter of the affected individual, declared that the drama began six months ago, when the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Font Agüero after he completed a 17-year sentence in the United States for second-degree murder.
The family insists that it was a case of self-defense and that, once free, he was working and reintegrated into society.
What followed was an irregular and distressing deportation process. One day, he stopped communicating. Fifteen days went by without hearing from him until he called and said he was in Africa.
"They told us that he was taken out with his eyes covered, with several stops along the way, and that he didn’t understand anything," the family source recounted.
When they finally managed to discover his whereabouts, they learned that he had been transferred to Eswatini, where he remains detained without having committed any crime in that country.
Since his arrival at the African prison, Font Agüero has reported health problems without adequate medical attention. He suffers from a chronic prostate condition that has worsened.
"When he arrived there, he was urinating blood [...] He could die far from his family and without assistance," lamented his relative.
Although it claims that there is no physical abuse, the situation in the prison is alarming.
Calls made to the family occur every three days, under strict supervision by the prison authorities.
The silence of Havana and Washington
Journalist Mario J. Pentón confirmed that neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the United States nor the Cuban embassy in South Africa—responsible for Cuban citizens in Eswatini—responded to requests for information.
A source from the U.S. government revealed, however, that Washington attempted to repatriate Font Agüero to Cuba on multiple occasions, without success. The regime's refusal was reiterated.
The State Department, for its part, defended its decision to deport the Cuban to another country, directly blaming Havana.
"Enforcing U.S. law and immigration policy, including the deportation of those without legal grounds to remain in the United States, is essential to uphold the rule of law," stated a spokesperson for the Department.
"Every country must accept the timely return of its citizens... This policy also applies to Cuban citizens," added the U.S. official source.
In January, then-Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this stance: "We are restoring a firm policy towards Cuba."
"How can you lose your nationality?"
In Cuba, Font Agüero's family went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners. The response was bewildering: they were informed that the citizen had lost his rights for having lived outside the country for more than 20 years.
However, the official documentation shows otherwise. Font Agüero was born in Cuba, has an identity card, a registered address, and a mother living on the island. He escaped from Cuba on a boat in 2003.
"How can you lose your nationality?", Yessica questioned.
The family views this refusal as a serious violation of their loved one's basic rights.
"He has already served his sentence [... ] If they want to bring him back in handcuffs, let them do so, but he should be brought back. We are not asking for privileges. We only want him to return to his homeland. Cuba cannot turn its back on its own," the young woman concluded in statements to the cited media outlet.
Filed under:
