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The Cuban political prisoner Yosvany Rosell García Caso ended his hunger strike on Monday after 40 days, his wife, Mailín Rodríguez Sánchez, confirmed to independent media.
Rodríguez explained on Facebook that García Caso decided to end the protest after the prison authorities agreed to one of his requests: to be transferred to a solitary cell.
“He been very sad and overwhelmed by the unjust imprisonment; if they were not going to grant him freedom, he at least wanted to be isolated from the terrible prison environment,” he stated to the independent portal Cubanet.
The wife indicated that the food reintegration process began on Monday night with hydration infusions.
This Tuesday, doctors at the Lucía Íñiguez Landín Clinical Surgical Hospital in Holguín conducted tests to assess the condition of his kidneys and other organs.
"It was 40 days of suffering for his body; there is still a danger to his life, but we trust that he will recover with God's help," Rodríguez Sánchez stated.
The political prisoner was transferred on November 19 from the Cubasí prison to that hospital, where he remained in intermediate care after being diagnosed in "critical condition with no prognosis."
His wife reported that, during her visit, she found him "conscious but very weak," handcuffed to the bed and under constant guard by State Security officers.
"My God, how horrifying! I came home shocked, just thinking that, in addition to suffering from this strike, I also have to be tied up," she expressed, moved.
During the weekend, the prisoner’s three children were able to visit him. “It was a very sad yet encouraging meeting,” said the mother, who confirmed that the chains had already been removed.
Yosvany Rosell García Caso was sentenced to 15 years in prison for participating in the protests on July 11, 2021 (11J) in Holguín, one of the harshest sentences imposed on the more than a thousand Cubans prosecuted for those events.
A blacksmith by trade and father of three, García Caso has been described by family and friends as a hardworking, faithful, and peaceful man.
His wife has reported threats, harassment, and constant surveillance by State Security since his arrest.
During the most critical days of his hunger strike, hundreds of Cubans and international organizations expressed their support and demanded his release.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Amnesty International, and the Embassy of the United States in Havana warned about the serious deterioration of his health and called on the Cuban regime to respect his human rights.
"The life of Yosvany Rosell is in danger. We demand that the Cuban State ensure adequate medical care," warned the IACHR on social media.
Additionally, this Monday a group of activists, artists, and intellectuals sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV to request his humanitarian mediation.
The document was submitted to the Holy See in Rome and also deposited at the Apostolic Nunciature in Havana.
"His case exemplifies the situation of hundreds of political prisoners who remain in Cuban jails," the signatories stated.
For many Cubans, Yosvany Rosell García Caso, the 11J prisoner who initially received the longest sentence—30 years—for his participation in the protests, has become a symbol of resistance and dignity.
His hunger strike was not only a demonstration of desperation, but also an act of protest against the injustice and repression of the Cuban regime.
"She just asks to be free. She is not asking for privileges; she is asking for justice," his wife expressed.
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