Javier Larrondo Calafat on 1,728 Cuban Political Prisoners Now
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/07/27
Javier Larrondo Calafat is the President of Prisoners Defenders. Here we talk about the large number of political prisoners in Cuba.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: We are at 1,728 political prisoners. How long have you been tracking this?
Javier Larrondo Calafat: We started tracking political prisoners in September or October of 2018. The 1,728 political prisoners represent the total number of political prisoners who entered our list from July 1st, 2021, up to now. This count extends to July 1st, representing three complete years of political prisoners. Today’s total list includes 1,117 of them.
Jacobsen: What month and year was particularly severe, the worst, in terms of people becoming political prisoners?
Calafat: It was 2021. From July to August and September, it was chaotic. Most of the demonstrators were detained and prosecuted during those months. Each month, we could verify hundreds of them. Between 1,000 and 1,500 people, or even 2,000, were detained, accused, and prosecuted starting from those months. It was an unprecedented period in Cuba.
Jacobsen: What about the families? What happens to the families in these conflicts? Are their visitation rights even limited?
Calafat: Yes, the families suffer greatly. The regime insists that they are not political prisoners and wants to control any narrative about it. As a result, it prohibits the families from defending the innocence of those imprisoned. The regime threatens, detains, and summons the families constantly. They are expelled from jobs because the Cuban economy is largely based on state jobs. They are also expelled from universities, their children, and even young teenagers. It is a hellish experience not only for the political prisoners but also for their families.
Jacobsen: The United Nations Working Group for Arbitrary Detention has been vital in putting pressure on governments to release people or make some amends, especially regarding the prisoners from the 11-J protests and demonstrations. How effective has this pressure been in helping some of these political prisoners?
Calafat: The pressure from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has been quite effective in terms of political cost to Cuba’s regime. It raises the political cost for anyone defended there. Since July 11th, the working group has defended about 20 to 25 people from those demonstrations. However, the working group needs the methodology to defend more people efficiently as they proceed one by one or two by two. In the last case, it was 17 individuals. It was only the third time in history that the group handled a case involving more than a dozen people, with the other instances being in Turkey and Nicaragua. The group made a significant effort this time, and they will continue their efforts. I am very grateful to the human rights officers at the United Nations for their dedication. However, I am deeply disappointed with the political level of the United Nations, which could help with the pressure, but they haven’t yet done anything. At the political level, Antonio Guterres and others still need to address the political imprisonment in Cuba. Nonetheless, the medium and low levels of human rights officers are doing their utmost, and I am very thankful to them.
Jacobsen: This will probably be the last question. In your experience and observation, do governments in power typically destroy not only the lives of these political prisoners and prisoners of conscience but also the economic livelihood of the country to maintain their power?
Calafat: Absolutely. Some dictatorships might be different, but in the case of communist dictatorships and national socialism, which is very similar to communism, power is the ultimate and only goal for those governments. They will sacrifice anything, even risk a third world war or destroy the country’s economy, as the Cuban regime has done. There is no doubt about it. In Cuba, maintaining power takes precedence over everything else.
Jacobsen: Thank you once again.
Calafat: Thank you.
Jacobsen: We will follow the same process for the transcript as before. Once the link is online, I will send it to you, likely within a week.
Calafat: Thank you very much. We are on time. Thank you very much for your kindness.
Jacobsen: You are welcome. Take care.
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