The Cuban regime celebrated the 65th anniversary of its prison system with a political-cultural event led by Miguel Díaz-Canel, at a time when independent organizations are denouncing a deterioration in prison conditions, deaths in custody, malnutrition, and a record number of political prisoners.
During the ceremony in Havana, authorities presented Cuban prisons as a "just and humane" endeavor, according to the official newspaper Granma.
Raúl Castro sent a letter of congratulations to the workers of the prison system, which was read by the Minister of the Interior, Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, in which he praised their work "with sacrifice, commitment, and dedication, to transform the horror that was experienced in Cuban prisons before the triumph of the Revolution."
Díaz-Canel, for his part, awarded the "Medal for Security and Internal Order," Class Two, to five officials from the Directorate of Penitentiary Establishments. Other workers and retirees also received recognitions.
The head of that department, Brigadier General Abelardo Jiménez González, stated that "prisons are schools, not perfect, not finished, but they are schools where teaching and learning take place."
He also stated that the penitentiary system complies with Cuban legislation and the international treaties signed by Havana.
The celebration takes place, however, amid numerous reports about the conditions faced by the inmates.
Prisoners Defenders reported 1,339 political prisoners in Cuba as of the end of August, the highest number recorded by that organization since the protests on July 11, 2021. Among them, 463 suffered from serious conditions that the NGO attributes, among other factors, to malnutrition, abuse, and lack of medical attention.
Deaths in custody are another major complaint regarding the penitentiary system. Cubalex documented in August 19 deaths in state custody associated with lack of medical care or negligent care in the ongoing year of 2026.
The organization pointed out a particularly serious situation in the El Típico prison, in Las Tunas, where four deaths were recorded. Among them, it mentioned Yoandry Cutiño Oliva, 34 years old, who was approximately 1.78 meters tall and weighed only 32 kilograms at the time of his death.
The complaints are not limited to the conditions within prisons. Cubalex documented 219 summons that it considers arbitrary up to August 2026 and warned that these procedures may be part of a chain that begins with a police summons, continues with interrogations, threats, or detentions, and, in some cases, ends in a criminal process or imprisonment.
The organization cited the case of activist Lumey Guzmán Fernández, who attended a police summons in Alamar, Havana, in July and was detained. She was subsequently transferred to the Cojímar station and then to the women's prison of Occidente, known as El Guatao. She was released on bail at the end of August and will continue the judicial process from her home.
Complaints about food and healthcare are joined by those related to prison labor. A report published in 2025 estimated that at least 60,000 inmates were subjected to forced labor, primarily in activities related to tobacco and marabou charcoal production.
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