Relatives of political prisoner killed in Havana say: ‘It was a murder’

July 11 (11J) Political prisoner Luis Barrios Díaz died on Sunday at the age of 36, with his relatives denouncing that his death could have been avoided and believing that it was the fault of Cuban prison authorities murder.

Carlos Hernández, the protester’s brother-in-law, posted a video in which he explained that despite doctors recommending immediate admission, the prisoners were denied medical attention because there was no oil to relieve the police burden. Antibiotics from his or Miguel Henriquez Hospital in Havana.

The young Cuban, who was imprisoned in the prison of San Miguel del Padron in 1580, had been suffering from pneumonia since August, the publication said. prisoner advocate.

Hernandez said that on November 14, some friends went to visit him in prison and found that he was in very bad condition. It was then that Barrios Díaz told them that they had taken him to Miguel Henriquez Hospital, where doctors ordered him admitted, but the guards accompanying him refused to admit him “because they There was no gas for the officer.” It should relieve their symptoms, but there are no antibiotics available in the hospital to treat it.

The prisoner gave his friend a phone so that his sister, Aurora Santos Díaz, could contact Captain Gerardo and insist that he needed medical attention.

“He had very severe bronchopneumonia, was frequently short of breath and was very progressive. I have lived with this family for 20 years and I met him when I was 16. He sent my wife a phone number so she could You can contact me.” Captain Gerardo could be contacted and Captain He asked for antibiotics to treat him, but they didn’t have any. Taken to Combinado Hospitalbut they left it in 1580,” said Hernández, Aurora’s husband.

He explained that his wife met with the captain and asked him to visit him personally to check on his health. Apparently, Geraldo went to visit him because they immediately transferred him to Covadonga in Cerro Mountain, where they were going to make an incision in his lungs because there was a lot of fluid there.

He stressed that after this operation, they removed one and a half liters of fluid from one lung and determined that the second lung was severely damaged, the authorities soon gave him three months of supervised release in the same hospital. Free license.

That evening, the prisoner recovered overnight and was admitted to the intensive care unit.

The doctor met with the family and told them Barrios Diaz He was very fragile and they brought him some broth and yogurt.

The young man’s sister prepared food and went to hospital at 7.30pm, but five minutes later they called home to report that the prisoner had died from respiratory arrest.

The doctor said that the patient died because his condition was not treated in time: “I want everyone to see this, I can be judged for this, but it doesn’t matter because the truth must be known. The prison director has committed a crime.” Hernand “This is a murder,” said Si, who is in Cuba and assured that he does not belong to any political organization.

He said doctors requested permission to perform an autopsy on Barrios Diaz to check for suspected tuberculosis.

“He was a healthy man who only went out to protest on July 11th. He left behind a six-year-old child, a sister, a mother and a broken family. I don’t belong to anything, any political organization.” “This Organization, no one pays me, I just want justice. I convey this message especially to journalist Albertico, who says that prisoners in Cuban prisons are well taken care of. Prisoners in Cuban prisons have no human rights,” he condemned.

Barrios Díaz, 37, was sentenced to six years in prison on suspicion of public disorder and assault.

The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights reiterates the demand for the immediate release of all prisoners for political and conscientious reasons, recalling that, although it is a matter of political will, the regime has at least eight legal avenues for their release or immediate release. all.

Luis Barrios’ case joins complaints from other inmates whose health has significantly deteriorated, such as those of Felix Navarro and Jose Daniel Ferrer.

In the final part of its complaint, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights calls on the democratic government and the European Union (EU) international community to pay attention to the critical situation of Cuban prisoners.