The Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer publicly denounced a new episode of abuse and arrogance within the prison system of the Cuban regime.
In a video shared on social media, Ferrer exposed an officer identified as Lieutenant Colonel Orlando Fernández Fernández (Landy), who serves as the second-in-command of the Canaletas Prison in the province of Ciego de Ávila.
The officer refused to accept the jabas with food that a group of Cuban women, allegedly relatives of the prisoners, had brought to the prison for their loved ones.
In the video, the military personnel can be heard warning the women in a threatening tone: "I would like for you not to make this difficult. I don’t know who has brought in bags before, but I'm telling you that they are not going to be allowed. I don’t want to make this difficult, because I can call a patrol officer and let them deal with you here. I also don’t want to complicate the situation for your relatives inside (the prison)."
The images shared by Ferrer reflect a recurring situation in Cuba's penitentiary centers, where the relatives of prisoners, both political and common, face constant restrictions and humiliations from the prison authorities.
The opposition leader held the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel responsible for allowing such abusive behavior, while also denouncing the pervasive corruption within the prison system.
High-ranking officials enjoy many privileges in prisons, and cases of corruption occur in all the country's jails.
Ferrer added that for the moment he does not have specific information regarding the activities of Lieutenant Colonel Orlando Fernández Fernández, but he does not rule out that he may later provide data on alleged irregularities in which he is involved.
Many of these officials take advantage of their influence, access to drugs, and other crimes, using their position in the prisons, said the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU).
The video has generated outrage among activists and relatives of political prisoners, who claim that repression in Cuban prisons has intensified, while the regime authorities continue to deny allegations of human rights violations.
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