Prevented from going out to get food for his son: Father of a political prisoner from 11J denounces another episode of repression

Wilber Aguilar Bravo, father of the political prisoner from July 11, Walnier Luis Aguilar Rivera, reported this Sunday a new episode of harassment by State Security, which prevented him from leaving his home while trying to find food for his imprisoned son.

“Here they are, I have them here. You can't leave, it's the order,” wrote Aguilar Bravo in a post on Facebook, in which he recounted how regime agents surrounded him again, for the third time this month.

According to his complaint, similar situations occurred on January 1 and 3, and again on the 18th, a recurrence that confirms the constant surveillance he is subjected to.

In his message, the father of the young political prisoner appealed to dignity and conscience in the face of repression. “I don’t know if anything worthy can be defended with repression and power. I know what I stand for, and I have only one weapon: the truth,” he wrote.

Aguilar Bravo explained that he needed to go out to look for Walnier's food, a basic task that has become a reason for surveillance and intimidation.

Walnier Luis Aguilar Rivera was sentenced for his involvement in the protests of July 11 and is serving a long prison sentence, despite suffering from an intellectual disability and a diagnosed brain injury. His case has been documented by human rights organizations and has prompted public denunciations both inside and outside the island.

The harassment against Wilber Aguilar is not new. He has repeatedly reported police surveillance, threats, and acts of intimidation by the authorities, such as patrols stationed outside his home during family gatherings or sensitive moments. His activism has made him one of the most prominent voices among the parents and relatives of political prisoners from 11J.

Far from intimidating him, the repression has strengthened his stance. “I am a free Black man. You are imprisoned in your conscience,” he wrote in his post, before again demanding the freedom of his son and all political prisoners. “Peace for Cuban families. Long live a free Cuba,” he concluded.

The case of Wilber Aguilar Bravo reflects the systematic pressure faced not only by the protesters imprisoned after July 11, 2021, but also by their families, who are subjected to constant harassment for demanding justice, dignity, and freedom in a country where even going out to seek food can become an act of resistance.