Several Cuban individuals deported by the United States to African countries reported months of detention, untreated illnesses, significant weight loss, separation from their families, and deep uncertainty about their immigration status.
The testimonies were collected by Telemundo 51 during a virtual forum organized by The Workers Circle, which included migrants sent to countries such as Eswatini and the Central African Republic.
One of them was Roberto Mosquera del Peral, a Cuban who remains in Eswatini and who claimed to have arrived in the African country on a U.S. military plane.
According to his testimony, he has been imprisoned for approximately 14 months.
Mosquera reported that he went on a hunger strike for 30 days to protest his situation, which ultimately led to his transfer to a hospital.
He also explained that he only recently managed to get access to a phone to communicate with family members and activists.
Her situation had raised concerns for months.
In October 2025, her lawyer reported that he was on a hunger strike in a maximum-security prison in Eswatini, after being detained for over three months without formal charges or access to legal assistance.
Mosquera also recounted that he arrived in the United States during the Mariel exodus in the 1980s and acknowledged that he committed a crime when he was younger, although he emphasized that he served his sentence years ago.
He has four daughters and stated that he could not say goodbye to them before being sent to Africa.
Another testimony was that of Arístides Fernández García, 37 years old, who ended up in the Central African Republic after entering the United States through the border with Mexico in 2021 and receiving an I-220A form while awaiting a decision on his immigration process.
Fernández stated that he sought asylum due to political persecution related to his family history in Cuba and affirmed that he has no criminal record.
According to his account, in January 2026 he attended a immigration hearing believing that his case was proceeding favorably, but he was detained and ended up going through several detention centers, including the one known as «Alligator Alcatraz», where he claimed to have stayed for 96 days.
"I fell ill with bronchitis and had no medication," Fernández said, who also stated that he lost approximately 60 pounds during his detention.
Fernández, who had previously described his experience as "a kidnapping", after arriving in Bangui, reported that he remained without documents, without the freedom to leave the place where he was staying, and without clarity about his legal situation.
The Cuban had lived in the United States for several years, held a work permit valid until 2030, and still had his asylum application pending.
Before being sent to Africa, he claimed to have been transferred numerous times between different detention centers.
The third case presented was that of Yasmany Moreno, who arrived in the United States in 2016 and was arrested by ICE in Palm Beach in May 2025.
Moreno explained that during his process, the authorities questioned a supposed illegal entry into the United States in 2011, something he denied, and stated that he provided documentation to support his account.
Finally, his asylum application was rejected, and he ended up being deported to the Central African Republic.
His case had also become known earlier: he reported from Bangui that he was without documents and unable to leave freely.
He then stated that he had no criminal record and was unaware that he would be sent to the Central African Republic until the flight was approaching its destination.
During this week's forum, however, Moreno revealed a new development regarding his situation: officials reportedly informed him that his case contained errors and will be returned to the United States.
According to his testimony, the return could occur within the next 30 to 60 days, although he emphasized that he is still unaware of the details of the process.
The situation of Moreno and Fernández had shown signs of change days earlier, when both announced that their cases had been reopened by judges and that their lawyers had conveyed encouraging news regarding their respective processes.
During the forum, the lack of regular communication with other Cubans sent to African countries was also reported.
Among the names mentioned are Enrique Vargas, José Manuel Rodríguez Quiñónez, and Leonardo Sánchez, who are reported to have been deported to Sudan and Equatorial Guinea.
The deportations to third countries have expanded to various African nations.
In August, the presence of Cubans in the first group of migrants deported by the United States to Liberia was also confirmed, as part of an agreement for that country to receive migrants who are not Liberian citizens.
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