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Two individuals were sentenced to prison terms for the illegal sale of medications at exorbitant prices, the Provincial People’s Court of Havana reported on Saturday following a trial held in the municipality of Diez de Octubre.
The court issued a guilty verdict in cases 495 and 496 of 2025 against Yoandrys Luis Blanco William and Miguel Alejandro Labañino Fernández, who were found to have unlawfully acquired and marketed large quantities of medications at prices deemed excessive.
According to the informational note published on the Facebook page of the Provincial People's Court of Havana, the events were classified as a crime of unauthorized economic activities, as defined in Article 308.1 of the current Penal Code.
As a result, Blanco William was sentenced to 10 months of deprivation of liberty, and Labañino Fernández to one year in prison.
In addition to the primary penalties, the court imposed additional sanctions consisting of the deprivation of public rights and the confiscation of assets seized during the investigation.
The official statement affirms that during the investigative process and the public trial, the guarantees established in criminal procedural law were upheld, that the defendants exercised their right to defense, and that the participation of the prosecution was involved.
The court decision can be appealed by both the sanctioned individuals and the prosecutor, with the appeal to be resolved by the corresponding chamber of the Provincial People's Court of Havana.
The National Revolutionary Police (PNR) recently conducted operations in various provinces of the country to combat the illegal sale of medications.
In Camagüey, for instance, medications intended for illegal marketing were seized, a practice that, according to an official statement, “poses a risk to public health and violates current health regulations.”
During the raids, medical equipment, oxygen tanks, glucometers, and cash were seized, and the alleged perpetrators were handed over to the relevant authorities "for the corresponding judicial process."
A police operation in Centro Habana ended with the arrest of seven individuals who were allegedly involved in the illegal sale of medications in a busy area of the Cuban capital.
However, these measures have been criticized for focusing on repression rather than addressing the shortage of medications.
The lack of access to basic medications has created a health crisis, which forces individuals with chronic illnesses to turn to illegal sellers to maintain their treatments.
This situation reflects the structural deficiencies of the Cuban healthcare system and the State's inability to ensure an adequate supply of medicines.
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