The Cuban political prisoner Jorge Martín Perdomo, imprisoned since the protests on July 11, 2021, reported in a handwritten letter sent to his family that he is undergoing a crisis of disc herniation without access to doctors or specialists inside the prison where he is serving his sentence.
The letter, posted on Facebook by his cousin Betty Guerra Perdomo, outlines an especially distressing situation: faced with pain and a lack of medical attention, Jorge insists that his only option is to rest and wait for the crisis to pass.
"The problem with my spine has been ongoing for a while or requires different treatment. I have experienced this before, and I know it takes some time. In the end, it's a disc herniation crisis, and there are no doctors here, much less specialists. I have no choice but to rest and wait," he wrote in his own handwriting on the pages of a notebook.
The conditions in which he sleeps also hinder his recovery. Jorge explained that the bunk bed he uses is uneven by about five centimeters, a situation that he fears could be further harming his spine. Despite this, he tried to reassure his family. "Don't worry, I will try to switch to one that is straight," he wrote.
The tone of the letter constantly fluctuates between denouncing the conditions faced and the effort to keep her family, especially her mother, from worrying. "Mom, this is just for your information. Don't be alarmed; you know that we can get through anything, and this is part of the process. If any specialist gives you any ideas, just let me know in whatever way you can, with the ibuprofen," she requested.
The phrase highlights another difficulty faced by the political prisoner: relying on their family outside the prison to seek guidance on how to alleviate an ailment that, as reported, cannot be assessed by a specialist inside the penitentiary.
His health issues are now compounded by the possibility of becoming even more isolated.
Jorge warned that communication with his family could be reduced in the coming days because, as he was informed, the authorities plan to remove the available phone and relocate it to another correctional facility. "It seems that from now on we will be more cut off, because they are going to take the phone to another prison, which, they say, needs it more. No words," he lamented.
But the letter does not limit itself to describing his physical suffering and the conditions of the prison. Jorge also reflected on the years he has spent incarcerated and launched a harsh critique of the Cuban political system. "Humanity has been demonstrating for centuries that only the concert of freedoms ensures an individual a dignified life, yet there go the 'revolutionary deities' telling us that now they have the magic formula after 67 years of failure. Enough already!" he wrote.
In another segment, he dedicated some words to his brother Nadir Martín Perdomo, who is also a political prisoner and confined in the Quivicán prison. "Tell my brother to continue holding on to the cross and the pure, true feeling that made us embrace it. Above the rage: love, a balm that heals hate," he expressed.
The Martín Perdomo brothers have been imprisoned for five years after participating in the historic anti-government protests of July 2021.
Both were arrested on July 17, 2021, just days after protesting in San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque. The Provincial Court of Mayabeque sentenced them in February 2022 and subsequently dismissed their appeal in April of that same year.
Prisoners Defenders records an eight-year prison sentence for Jorge for the offenses of assault, contempt, and public disorder.
During his imprisonment, the family has repeatedly reported mistreatment, health deficiencies, and difficulties in receiving medical care.
In June 2025, his parents reported that a prison chief grabbed Jorge by the neck and pushed him towards an area with wastewater, in a prison where, according to the family, there were also outbreaks of hepatitis and tuberculosis.
The situation of Nadir has also raised concern.
Weeks ago, her mother, Marta Perdomo Benítez, reported the lack of water in the Quivicán prison and warned about the danger it posed to her son's health, as he suffers from several illnesses and requires medical attention.
Jorge, despite those circumstances, closed his letter with a reference to the book of Job and a phrase aimed at confronting confinement without allowing resentment to consume him: "It is better to cry with love than with hate."
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