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The Provincial Prison El Típico in Las Tunas woke up this Tuesday under a heavy presence of State Security agents and other regime forces, while inside, the trial against eight activists from the opposition movement Cuba Primero began, according to a report by the organization Cubalex.
The oral hearing takes place within the prison itself, a decision that, according to the organization, restricts access for family members, independent observers, and citizens, turning the process into a trial without effective publicity.
The eight opponents have been detained since March and April of 2024, and according to Cubalex, none of them are charged with violent acts. The case is based on their affiliation with Cuba Primero and critical posts against the Government on social media.
The Prosecutor's Office is requesting prison sentences ranging from six to nine years. Javier Reyes Peña faces a request for nine years; Guillermo Carralero López and Adisbel Mendoza Barroso, eight years; Pedro Carlos Camacho Ochoa, Carlos Manuel Santiesteban Saavedra, and Enrique González Infante, seven years; and Maikel Hill Ramírez, six years.
The eighth defendant, Carlos Alberto McDonald Ennis, was released on bail just a few days before the trial due to the serious deterioration of his health. According to Cubalex, he left prison weighing only 48 kilograms, suffering from severe malnutrition, diabetes mellitus, and a tumor in his nasal cavities.
The authorities justified holding the trial inside the prison by citing a lack of fuel to transport the defendants to the court. Cubalex argues that this reasoning lacks legal support and recalls that the same explanation was used to suspend a previous attempt to hold the proceedings, scheduled for May 28, when the defense attorneys were also unable to travel.
The organization asserts that Cuban procedural law stipulates that trials must be oral and public, and that restrictions on this principle can only be applied under exceptional circumstances, such as reasons of national security, public order, or morality, which they believe do not apply in this case.
It also notes that current regulations provide alternatives, such as the use of technological means, to ensure the publicity of the process without the need to transfer the accused.
Before the trial began, two of the defendants, Javier Reyes Peña and Pedro Carlos Camacho Ochoa, were sent to disciplinary cells on May 20 under the argument of "security measures." Both had contracted chikungunya during their detention.
Cuba Primero is an opposition movement founded by Cuban-American businessman Armando Labrador, who resides in Miami and advocates for a democratic transition and the holding of free elections in Cuba. In July 2025, the Cuban government included him on its national list of individuals and organizations linked to terrorism, a designation that has not been recognized by international human rights organizations.
The trial is taking place in a context of increasing repression against dissent. According to the organization Prisoners Defenders, Cuba recorded a total of 1,281 political prisoners in May 2026, the highest figure documented by this organization.
Cubalex demanded the "immediate cessation of military coercion around the courthouse" and held the Cuban state responsible for the physical integrity of the defendants and for upholding the guarantees of due process.
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