Alfredo Ulecia Planche, known as “Alfredito,” died on September 7; Cubalex denounces torture and negligence in the penitentiary center.
Madrid, Spain.- Alfredo Ulecia Planche, known as “Alfredito”, died on September 7 while he was in the provincial prison of Guantanamo. The fact came to light this Thursday after a complaint of the Cubalex Organization, which gathered information about the circumstances of the case.
According to a Cubalex publication on social networks, Ulecia served a penalty of 25 years for a common crime and worked in the prison kitchen. After being accused by another inmate of selling food, the head of the interior order withdrew him from his position. In protest, he ingested psychopharmaceuticals.
As punishment, he would have undergone “mechanical fixation”, a practice known in other prisons such as “The foal“Or” Turkish bed “, which consists of immobilizing the person with ties. He remained isolated in an unhealthy room of the medical post, tied, without access to food and without optional supervision.
Only when another intern warned that he did not respond and gave the alarm, the authorities verified his death. The family was informed that the cause was an overdose, but the exact circumstances are still not clarified.
The body was delivered to his relatives on the same day 7, veiled in the El Bayamo neighborhood and buried 8.
Cubalex stressed that each death in custody is the responsibility of the State, which must guarantee decent conditions and investigate immediately, independent and transparent.
The organization has documented 32 deaths of inmates, a figure that reflects a penitentiary crisis marked by violence, negligence and poor medical care. It also mentions as concurrent factors, self -harm, malnutrition and various diseases.
Last June, a report published by the Initiative for Research and Incidence He revealed that, between January and June of this year, at least 24 people had died in custody of the Cuban State.
Of the total deaths, eight occurred as a direct consequence of the deliberate denial of medical care, one of the most frequent forms of abuse denounced in the country’s prisons.
In March 2024, Cubalex He presented an investigation About deaths in custody in Cuba, where he concluded that this phenomenon reflects a systemic crisis of human rights. The document indicated that prisons and detention centers are characterized by overcrowding, lack of hygiene and shortage of basic needs such as drinking water, ventilation and adequate food, which increases the risk of preventable diseases and deaths. He also denounced poor medical care, with delays or negatives in inappropriate treatments and responses to emergencies, which have resulted in multiple avoidable deaths.
The report also highlighted the absence of transparent investigations on these facts, which perpetuates impunity and concealment of state responsibilities. He also pointed out that deaths in custody undermine confidence in government institutions and the justice system, and demand deep reforms to guarantee respect for human rights, state transparency and accountability of the responsible authorities.
