Sissi Abascal Zamora, the youngest Ladies in White in Cuba, gave her first statements upon arriving in Miami after nearly four and a half years in prison, and revealed the details of how the Cuban regime handled her forced exile.
Abascal, 27 years old, arrived in Miami on Wednesday accompanied by her mother, Annia Zamora —also a Lady in White and an activist— and other relatives, after the Legal Rescue Foundation, led by activist and businessman Santiago Álvarez from Miami, facilitated her release through a humanitarian visa from the State Department.
In his opening remarks, Abascal explained that he learned about the possibility of leaving as of October 2025, when State Security proposed exile for health reasons. "I found out through my family in October. They had already proposed it to me by State Security due to health issues. I accepted," he stated.
The regime imposed a condition: his mother had to leave Cuba first. "I was told that the first person who had to leave Cuba had to be my mom. That if my mom didn't leave, they wouldn't grant my exit. My mom had to do it for me so that I could have proper medical assistance," he recounted.
Regarding his health status, he stated: "I feel good. I have to wait for a doctor to see me to know if it’s true or not."
Abascal expressed his gratitude for the support received: "Thanks to the State Department, Santiago, and all the members of the Foundation, we are here today."
One of the most emotional moments was when her mother spoke about her father's decision, Armando Abascal, to stay in Cuba with another child. "That was a very difficult decision because... It's a marriage of many years, it's for his daughters, the other child is left there, but Cici's health comes first. And I hope that the freedom of Cuba will come soon, soon, and that we can be the whole Abascal Zamora family reunited again," said Annia Zamora.
Abascal was arrested on November 3, 2021, in Carlos Rojas, municipality of Jovellanos, province of Matanzas, for her participation in the protests of July 11, 2021, and sentenced to six years in prison for disrespect, assault, and public disorder.
Inside the prison, she was classified as a "negative inmate" for refusing to participate in mandatory political activities, and the authorities denied her the transfer to a less severe penitentiary regime at least seven times. In October 2022, they prohibited her from receiving warm clothing to sleep during the winter, and on August 28, 2025, she underwent emergency surgery for bartolinitis without the authorities informing her family.
The organization Cubalex classified their departure as "conditional freedom in exile," a common mechanism of the regime to exile opponents without granting them prison benefits within Cuba.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba expressed pride in having contributed to her release, although it acknowledged: "We understand how painful it is to be forced into exile."
The release of Abascal occurs while Cuba records 1,260 political prisoners, a new historical record according to Prisoners Defenders, of which 358 were imprisoned for participating in the protests of July 11th.
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