MIAMI, United States. – Cuban political prisoner Mackyanis Román Rodríguez cut off her arms inside the Western Women’s Prison, known as El Guatao, in Havana, after requesting medical assistance in vain.
The incident was reported by the young woman’s mother, Teresa Rodríguez Simón, as well as by activists and human rights NGO.
“You, sons of bitches“They took her there when they know better than anything that my daughter is a depressed girl, who suffers from anxiety, who is unjustly imprisoned,” denounced Rodríguez Simón in a video posted by Prisoners Defenders in which he refers to the refusal of prison authorities to provide the necessary medical care to his daughter.
According to the testimony of the woman, also the mother of two other political prisoners from 11J, Mackyanis Román Rodríguez had been suffering from intense toothaches since last year and, although she requested medical assistance, she did not receive it. “He asked and begged for medical assistance and there in prison they did not give it to him,” lamented his mother.
According to the same source, the young woman, just 27 years old, decided to self-harm and, later, pull out a tooth with her own hands.
Given the lack of response from the authorities, the young woman’s mother warned: “I am not going to remain silent, I am going to continue fighting for the freedom of my daughter and all the political prisoners. Freedom, Pussyalready! Homeland and life.”
Both Mackyanis Román Rodríguez and his two brothers, Emiyoslán and Yosney Emilio, were imprisoned for peacefully demonstrating on July 12, 2021 in the La Güinera neighborhood, Havana, during the 11J protests. For the activist Betty Guerra Perdomomother of political prisoners Jorge and Nadir Martín Perdomo, the young woman’s situation is devastating: “Mackyanis feels alone. Very alone. He is in pain. “A lot of pain,” stated on the social networkwhere he also announced that, together with the NGO “Political Prisoners of Cuba”, he will launch a symbolic “lifesaver” on January 28 to make this case and that of other political prisoners visible.
Human rights organizations and activists have insisted that the international community must focus on these complaints, demanding that the Cuban authorities provide dignified treatment, adequate medical care and, ultimately, the release of the political prisoners who are currently suffering after behind bars for exercising their right to peaceful protest.
