Mike Hammer, mission chief of the United States Embassy in Cuba, met with former political prisoner Fernando Ginarte Mora and his children at the official residence of the Embassy in Havana, in a follow-up meeting that reinforces the strategy of close diplomacy that the diplomat has implemented since his arrival on the island.
The Embassy posted about the meeting on its social media this Friday under the hashtag #ConCubanosDeAPie, explaining that the gathering was a reciprocal invitation: "Since he had welcomed us so kindly in his home, this time we invited him to our residence in Havana," the diplomatic mission stated. Ginarte and his children are originally from Baire, in the eastern region of the country.
During the meeting, the political prisoner shared his experiences under the regime, his current concerns, and his hopes for the future of Cuba. "He told us about his experiences, worries, and wishes for the future of Cuba," the Embassy stated in its publication.
Fernando Ginarte Mora is a wood craftsman, painter, and poet. He was arrested on July 20, 2021, just days after the historic protests of July 11, 2021, and sentenced to four years of imprisonment for an alleged "assault" that he denies. He served part of his sentence in Agüica prison, in Colón.
The organization Prisoners Defenders described it as “temporarily extrapenal under threats,” a form of conditional release that human rights advocates do not consider to be full freedom. The harassment against Ginarte did not stop after he was released from prison: in November 2025, he reported having been intentionally hit by a car while cycling home in Baire, which he described as a deliberate attack.
Hammer arrived in Cuba as the head of mission on November 14, 2024, and since then, he has traveled throughout all the provinces of the country, meeting with opponents, religious leaders, independent journalists, and ordinary citizens. Some of his most significant encounters include visits to opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer in Santiago de Cuba, Father José Conrado Rodríguez in Trinidad, and Manuel Cuesta Morúa in Havana, as well as his attendance at a mass in the church of Virgen de Regla to pray for the release of political prisoners.
The Cuban State Security has systematically attempted to hinder these meetings. In January 2026, Cuban authorities stated that they would prevent new meetings between Hammer and opposition figures, and in February they even detained opposition member Vladimiro Martín Castellanos in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas, just before the diplomat's visit.
Cuba maintains over 1,000 political prisoners according to independent organizations, many of whom are linked to the 11J. In 2025 and 2026, the regime announced partial releases, but Prisoners Defenders and other organizations indicated that these were conditional releases. In March 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the release of 51 inmates, although the organization confirmed that only 19 of them were political prisoners.
The Embassy emphasized that close diplomacy will continue: "We will keep talking to everyday Cubans throughout the country because understanding their challenges and aspirations is essential to supporting the Cuban people."
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