Yosvany Rosell García's Life in Peril as Hunger Strike Reaches 39 Days

The critical condition of political prisoner Yosvany Rosell García Caso, who has been on a hunger strike for 39 days, is raising alarms both nationally and internationally. García Caso, sentenced to 15 years for his involvement in the July 11, 2021 protests in Holguín, is at the center of growing demands for his immediate release.

Opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to warn that "the life of political prisoner Yosvani Rosell García is in grave danger," emphasizing that "he only demands his freedom because he is innocent and should not be imprisoned."

Ferrer further criticized the Cuban regime, stating that García Caso has been on hunger strike for nearly 40 days and remains shackled, directly blaming the Cuban government for any potential harm: "The criminal Castro-communist dictatorship would be solely responsible for whatever happens, but anyone who remains silent in the face of this human tragedy is complicit. Watching a crime in silence is committing it."

International Pressure Intensifies

The voices calling for García Caso's release include citizens and diplomats who are increasingly concerned about his deteriorating health. Recently transferred to Holguín's provincial hospital, he shows signs of severe malnutrition, dehydration, and risk of organ failure.

Despite his critical state, his family reports that García Caso is refusing intravenous feeding or medication, protesting against what he sees as an unjust and arbitrary sentence.

"He Just Wants to Be Free"

Described by family and friends as a humble and hard-working blacksmith and father of three, García Caso's plight highlights his fight for justice. His wife, Mailín Rodríguez Sánchez, has faced threats and surveillance from State Security while persistently demanding medical care and her husband's release.

"He's only asking to be free. He isn't seeking privileges, just justice," she stated on social media. Since his incarceration in 2021, García Caso has endured beatings, solitary confinement, and isolation, as reported by his family and human rights organizations. This hunger strike, surpassing 39 days, is his longest and most perilous yet.

Mailín recently expressed her anguish: "I've returned home distraught, unable to close my eyes. My husband is hospitalized, monitored 24/7 by G2 officers, even in his weakened state. He's been without food for 38 days, yet remains shackled to the bed. My God, what horror! I saw him bound, suffering. I cannot remain silent."

Mailín holds the Cuban regime accountable for her husband's life, stating, "Yosvany is unjustly imprisoned for wanting a better future for his children and peacefully protesting—a constitutional right. He was sentenced to 15 years without committing any crime. He has been unable to see his children grow for over four years, and now his life is at risk. Every second matters."

A Symbol of Resistance

The international community, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Amnesty International, and the U.S. Embassy in Havana, has voiced concerns over García Caso's health and demanded his immediate release. "Yosvany Rosell's life is in danger. We demand the Cuban state respect his human rights and provide appropriate medical care," the IACHR urged.

Cuban activists, both on the island and abroad, have organized vigils and social media campaigns under the hashtags #FreeYosvanyRosell, #SOSCuba, and #LibertadParaYosvany to shed light on his situation before it's too late.

For many Cubans, García Caso's case symbolizes the dignity of the ordinary citizen who dared to protest without fear and now pays with his health and freedom for standing against injustice. His hunger strike, more than a desperate act, has become a cry of resistance and denunciation against a repressive regime that punishes civic protest with cruelty. As his condition worsens, the demand for action becomes more urgent: his life hangs in the balance, and silence, as Ferrer warned, is complicity.