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Hundreds of Cubans remain confined at the detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz in Florida, under conditions that the detainees themselves describe as inhuman, according to testimonies collected by CiberCuba during a live broadcast with family members and inmates.
According to reports, via phone, there would be around 700 Cubans inside the center, including several known as marielitos who arrived in the United States at the age of 12.
According to the testimonies gathered by our journalist Tania Costa, the venue consists of eight tents.
Each tent would have eight cages, and in each cage there are between 27 and 32 people, who sleep crowded in bunk beds and have only three bathrooms to attend to their needs.
The detainees -desperate to talk and share what they are experiencing- claim that they are only allowed to shower and brush their teeth -without any hygiene products- three times a week.
In a 15-minute call where they took turns sharing their story, they stated that they do not know what time it is and that the air conditioning is set to an extreme level (below 35 Fahrenheit, 2 degrees Celsius), which worsens the physical conditions inside the place.
Abel Ducanses Ceballos, detained since December 5, reported that “the conditions are inhumane: we are locked up in cages, and no one cares about us. The drinking water looks like puddle water; it’s disgusting,” he said.
According to his testimony, the smell is unbearable and scabies outbreaks have been reported. “We look like animals: with long hair, with beards, lacking hygiene. The only thing that has happened is that we respond like animals to animal treatment,” he added.
Another detainee, Endy Castillo, described the place as a “concentration camp” and a “punishment cell.”
"The medicines are terrible; imagine that instead of the medications to lower my blood pressure, they gave me aspirin, and my nose is bleeding. I feel like there's nobody in here who cares," she said.
According to their account, they receive three meals a day —at 5:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.— the food arrives cold and it is the same sandwich throughout the entire week, while the water “cannot be consumed.”
Medical attention is another critical point. According to reports, the doctor only sees patients after 72 hours, by which time most already show symptoms, and they claim that there are no medications.
The inmates also warn about safety risks: they claim that there are no fire extinguishers and that, in the event of a fire, “we would all die.”
They claim that each cage has three toilets and that when one needs to use them, the others must turn their backs.
They also report extreme temperatures: the air conditioning would remain set at 35 degrees, causing them intense cold and forcing them to stay wrapped in blankets.
One of the interviewees stated that he has been in detention for 98 days and reported transfers and a lack of information.
“The worst part is the overcrowding, people stacked on top of each other, without hygiene and with terrible food. My family in Cuba hasn’t been able to talk to me; I’m completely cut off,” he said before the 15 minutes of allowed call time ran out.
Among those detained are elderly individuals. According to testimonies, the oldest would be 84 years old and several detainees are in their 50s and 60s. Some do not even speak Spanish, as they arrived in the United States as children decades ago.
CiberCuba will continue documenting the reports regarding conditions inside Alligator Alcatraz, as the demands from families and activists grow for dignified treatment and access to medical care and basic hygiene conditions.
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