A man from Cabaiguán, Sancti Spíritus, has reportedly been involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital after placing a sign with the word "Trump," according to a complaint made by evangelical pastor Alian López Rodríguez on Facebook.
The affected individual is Santiago Elieser Fernández Pérez, known as "El Chiqui," and a member of the pastor's congregation. According to testimonies from neighbors gathered by López Rodríguez, the man put up the sign on August 12, the eve of the official events commemorating the centenary of the birth of the dictator Fidel Castro.
After the incident, Fernández Pérez was first taken to a police unit and later transferred to a psychiatric hospital, where he remains hospitalized.
López Rodríguez assured that he personally visited him on August 20 and was able to speak with him.
"He told me that he felt in perfect mental health and that he didn't know why he was in that place, to which he was taken against his will," he recounted.
The pastor expressed particular concern because Fernández Pérez remains alongside patients who, according to his testimony, exhibit aggressive behaviors. He also noted that the man is elderly, suffers from malnutrition, and has a urinary retention problem, factors that would increase his vulnerability during hospitalization.
Fernández Pérez also has a history of political repression. According to López Rodríguez, he was imprisoned in Cabaiguán during the 1980s for political reasons.
"There are moments when silence is wise, but in this case, it is cowardice. We raise our voices for those who have no voice and defend those who cannot defend themselves," expressed the clergyman.
The legal advisory organization Cubalex also reported the case of Fernández Pérez and claimed to have received information indicating that the Cuban was arbitrarily detained. They also warned that, so far, there is no known medical justification for his hospitalization and expressed particular concern that a psychiatric institution could be used to keep a person deprived of liberty due to their political opinions.
On its part, the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP) documented the case under its indicators of arbitrary detention and abusive use of state power, and called on the Cuban authorities to clarify the legal and medical grounds for which Fernández Pérez remains hospitalized.
The complaint once again highlights the use of psychiatric institutions against individuals deemed uncomfortable by the Cuban regime, a practice that has been condemned at various times by opponents and human rights organizations.
Among the most well-known cases is that of writer Ariel Hidalgo, who reported being sent to the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana—known as Mazorra—in 1981 by State Security after proposing democratic elections. Another case is that of athlete Javier Ernesto Martín Gutiérrez, known as the "Cuban Spiderman," who was detained and the official narrative suggested he might have a mental disorder, although a psychiatric evaluation ruled out any issues.
López Rodríguez himself has previously reported repressive actions against him. In June, he was arrested during a peaceful religious demonstration in Cabaiguán, and human rights organizations in Cuba cited his case as one of the most serious in the first half of the year on the island.
Until this Sunday, the Cuban authorities had not publicly commented on the case of Fernández Pérez nor explained the reasons for his confinement.
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