The independent activist and journalist Guillermo del Sol Pérez is spending his 46th day on hunger strike this Sunday, with a critical health condition that poses an imminent risk to his life, according to his son’s report to Martí Noticias.
Del Sol, based in Santa Clara, Villa Clara, began the protest on June 19, 2026, to demand the release of 18 political prisoners, a number he strategically chose because, in his own words, he knew that the regime would not grant the freedom of all.
His son, Adrián del Sol Alfonso, described an alarming physical decline: the activist has lost over 30 pounds and is facing such severe dehydration that he is unable to consume liquids normally.
"Drinking water is very cumbersome for him as he is practically dehydrated," warned Adrián del Sol Alfonso.
The situation is worsened by the chronic illnesses the activist suffers from: type 2 diabetes, severe hypertension, chronic asthma, heart disease, and a history of thrombosis.
The doctor from the local clinic who visits her home to monitor her vital signs has detected glucose levels with drastic fluctuations and extremely high and unstable blood pressure, factors that significantly elevate the risk of a heart attack or a stroke.
The Cuban doctor granted asylum in Brazil Eduardo Enrique Herrera Durán described the situation as "a medical emergency requiring specialized monitoring" and warned that the combination of diabetes and prolonged fasting "can lead to serious consequences such as metabolic instability, cardiovascular disturbances, and renal failure, among other serious health conditions."
Among the 18 political prisoners whose release is demanded by Del Sol are Mayelín Rodríguez Prado—sentenced to 15 years for broadcasting the protests in Nuevitas on Facebook in 2022—Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Saylí Navarro Álvarez, Félix Navarro Rodríguez, José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez, and the brothers Jorge and Nadir Martín Perdomo, among others.
One of the cases that sparked the protest was that of Leonel Tristá García, a prisoner from the 11J, whose extrapenal license was revoked by Cuban authorities in June 2026, leading to his re-incarceration in the Guamajal prison to serve the remainder of an eight-year sentence.
Del Sol, born in 1965 and a member of Cuba Decide, has participated in at least 14 hunger strikes since the 1990s, according to his biography published by Memory of Nations. In September 2019, he was hospitalized in Santa Clara after 40 days of fasting, on that occasion to protest against the travel ban imposed on his son.
The organization Centro de Denuncias Defensa CD submitted a request for urgent precautionary measures to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to protect the life and integrity of the hunger striker, demanding that the Cuban state ensure independent medical care and cease harassment against him and his environment. So far, no public resolution from the IACHR on this matter has been reported.
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