José Daniel Ferrer García is a Cuban human rights activist born in Palma Soriano, Santiago de Cuba on July 29, 1970. He founded the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) in August 2011, a Cuban dissident organization that peacefully fights against any form of repression of civil liberties in Cuba.
In March 2003, he was arrested by Cuban authorities for being one of the main promoters of the Varela Project, a bill created and directed by Cuban activist Oswaldo Payá in 1998, advocating for political reforms in Cuba. He was one of the 75 prisoners of conscience incarcerated during the wave of arrests that took place in the spring of 2003 known as the Cuban Black Spring.
On that occasion, the Prosecutor's Office sought the death penalty for José Daniel. The pressure from international public opinion following the death in prison of political activist Orlando Zapata Tamayo in February 2010 and the hunger and thirst strike lasting 135 days, which posed an imminent risk of death for dissident Guillermo Fariñas, led to the release of political prisoners after offering them clemency in exchange for exile in Spain. From the group of 116 political prisoners released thanks to the intervention of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cuban Catholic Church, 12 prisoners, including Ferrer, refused to leave the island. Ultimately, he was released on August 24, 2011.
Since that moment, José Daniel has been detained and held incommunicado several times and has reported torture and lack of medical attention. Both he and the activists who make up UNPACU have been threatened with imprisonment.
In February 2021, Ferrer was detained for 10 hours under threats of imprisonment if he did not cease his activism and humanitarian work and did not seek employment with the State. The Biden Administration and the Vice President of the European Parliament, Dita Charanzová, called for the activist's release.
A few days before the leader's arrest, State Security officers disguised as garlic vendors violently attacked him while he was distributing food to vulnerable individuals in Santiago de Cuba.
After Ferrer put up banners of Patria y Vida at his home and the UNPACU headquarters, regime supporters arrived with a crane, threw excrement, and painted over the facade to remove the banners. Inside the house were his young child, his wife, and several UNPACU activists and promoters of CubaDecide.
José Daniel Ferrer García has been awarded the following prizes:
Truman-Reagan Freedom Award from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation 2020, XIII International Human Rights Award from the Hispano-Cuban Foundation, based in Madrid, Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy
