The father of Jonathan David Muir Burgos, a 16-year-old teenager imprisoned in the maximum-security prison of Canaleta in Ciego de Ávila, made a desperate plea for help through opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García, denouncing that his son is being physically assaulted by common prisoners at the instigation of State Security, and that his life is in danger.
Elier Muir Ávila, an evangelical pastor from Morón, described that during his visit last Monday, he noticed Jonathan with a "face of anguish, of sadness" and tears in his eyes behind the bars, without the boy saying anything to him. The next day, the teenager confessed to him: "Dad, they are already throwing me in with the prisoners, so that they can beat me, so that they can hurt me."
According to the father, the previous Friday, an inmate confronted Jonathan as he was leaving his cell and accused him of being a "snitch." The boy responded, "No, I'm not a snitch; I'm a counter-revolutionary." The assailant threw him to the ground and they wrestled. Elier Muir identified this individual as a presumed State Security agent disguised as a prisoner, just like another man who, during the family visit on Monday, "stole 30 minutes" by interfering with their privacy with the boy.
"They are already beating him, brother. I am very worried because my son told me on Monday that he feels very weak," the father stated in the audio shared by Ferrer García. He added, "His life is in danger, brother. They want to accuse him of being one of the main leaders of the protest and of having set fire to the party."
Jonathan's health is fragile. He suffers from severe dyshidrosis, infections caused by streptococcus and staphylococcus, two untreated intestinal parasites, vasovagal crises with episodes of disorientation, and malnutrition. He requires care from four different medical specialists, none of whom have been provided to him in Canaleta. He receives only one serving of food per day in a disposable cup.
The father directly held the regime accountable: "I hold the Cuban government, the State Security, and the management of the prison there responsible." And he pleaded: "Jonathan cannot stay there for another second, please, Daniel. I urge you, advocate for him, present the situation; it's dangerous due to Jonathan's health condition. He is not prepared to face violence."
Jonathan was arrested on March 16, alongside his father, when they attended a police summons in Morón, days after participating in the protests on March 13 where he was seen crying, triggered by prolonged blackouts and extreme food shortages. His father was released hours later; however, Jonathan was transferred to Canaleta, a maximum-security prison for adults, despite being 16 years old. The Municipal Prosecutor's Office of Morón accuses him of the crime of sabotage, a charge that could lead to a prison sentence of between 7 and 15 years.
On April 24, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures to the minor through Resolution 30/2026, considering his rights to life, personal integrity, and health to be at irreparable risk. The Cuban regime ignored the prior request sent to Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.
José Daniel Ferrer García, leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), shared the harsh testimony of the boy's father with a call for solidarity. "Only a criminal tyranny orders what is being done to Jonathan Muir Burgos, a 16-year-old adolescent who is sick and has serious health issues in Canaleta prison," he denounced.
Jonathan has a medical appointment scheduled at a hospital in Washington D.C. for May 20, rescheduled for the eighth time since 2023 due to delays in the humanitarian visa.
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