Miami:- On January 30, 2025, Yankiel Justiz Despaigne, An inmate 36 years old, he died due to tuberculosis in the southern hair prison, located in the province of Mayabeque. According to iNformation provided by CubalexJustiz Despaigne died in his cell without receiving timely medical attention, evidencing a worrying negligence in the Cuban prison system.
This situation is not an isolated case. Between January 2022 and January 2024, Cubalex documented 56 deaths in state custody in Cuba, of which 34 corresponded to inmates. These deaths are attributable to systematic practices of negligence and medical neglect in the country’s prisons.
José Manuel Justiz, Father Yankiel, explained to DNA Cuba that the authorities informed him of the death of his son, nine hours after his death
“He did not make autopsy; They brought him wrapped in a black nylon (bag) and already. They gave it to me in a black nylon at the Zanja funeral. In this month we are ending his sanction, ”Justiz added.
Inhuman detention conditions further aggravate the health of people deprived of liberty. Factors such as overcrowding, unhealthiness, malnutrition and scarcity of drinking water facilitate the spread of diseases and deteriorate the health of inmates. The lack of hygiene, adequate ventilation and sufficient food are recurring problems in Cuban prisons.
Organizations like JUSTICE 11J They have also denounced the death of at least four inmates convicted of the protests of July 11, 2021 while they fulfilled their sorrows: Luis Barrios, Yosandri Mulet, Giraldo Díaz and Manuel de Jesús Guillén. These deaths are attributable to the Cuban regime, either by direct commission or negligence and abandonment in the fulfillment of their obligations to safeguard the life of inmates.
The case of Yankiel Justiz Despaigne highlights a structural crisis in the Cuban prison system, where medical negligence and precarious conditions represent a constant threat to the lives of people in state custody.
