The Cuban regime's Ministry of the Interior (MININT) acknowledged a prison riot on Friday, omitting any mention of fatalities or injuries.
“In the early hours of Thursday, February 19, an incident occurred that disrupted order at the provincial penitentiary in Ciego de Ávila,” the statement reads, failing to clarify the specifics of the event.
The report notes that the riot was instigated "when two individuals, convicted of crimes such as Robbery with Force, Theft and Slaughter of Major Livestock, Escape of Detainees, and Illegal Possession of a Bladed Weapon, along with a series of internal disciplinary violations, participated in a serious breach of prison regulations, joined by other inmates with similar profiles,” the vague statement continues.
MININT claims that order was "restored with rationality and determination."
“Incidents like these disrupt the tranquility of the penitentiary system and will be met with the full rigor of socialist legality for the benefit of collective security,” the statement concludes.
The report does not confirm or deny several independent accounts suggesting the riot was heavily suppressed.
Witnesses report at least seven fatalities. Coffins and ambulances were seen in the early morning hours, and cries of "FREEDOM" were heard from a kilometer away, according to a testimony from a political prisoner circulated by the organization Prisoners Defenders.
“A young man, nearly a child, protested due to lack of food. He was faint from hunger. They brutally beat him. Hours later, he was found hanged in his cell. This sparked the riot at Canaleta prison,” the witness claims.
“What happened in Canaleta, Cuba, was not an incident. It was a massacre,” adds Prisoners Defenders.
Independent outlets such as Diario de Cuba confirm that Giorkis Vargas Ramos, a member of the dissident group Cuba Primero, and Yumel Rodríguez Carbó, imprisoned for a common crime, are severely injured following the riot.
Opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, who has been reporting on the incident since it began, stated that among the deceased are Walfrido Archival, Pilita, and Eduardo Rodríguez Ulloa, known as the Chinito de Colorao.
Ferrer indicated that there might be around thirty injured, that prison visits have been suspended, and that many inmates will be transferred to other provinces.
Last Thursday, the silence of Canaleta's provincial high-security prison was shattered in the early morning by an eruption of cries, metallic clanging, and chants against the regime.
From within the penitentiary, audio recordings began to circulate, capturing voices chanting “Freedom,” “Homeland and Life,” and “Down with Díaz-Canel,” as they denounced abuses and extreme survival conditions.
The EFE agency confirmed the riot based on reports from NGOs Prisoners Defenders and the Cuban Prison Documentation Center (CDPC).
A testimony from an inmate, provided to the agency, claimed that police forces arrived as reinforcements at the prison and used “rubber bullets,” “pepper spray,” and physical violence to attempt to quell the protest.
According to this testimony, the uprising was triggered by "hunger" and "mistreatment" in the prison, alongside widespread dissatisfaction with the Cuban government.
Understanding the Canaleta Prison Riot
What sparked the riot at Canaleta Prison?
The riot was reportedly sparked by widespread hunger, mistreatment, and dissatisfaction with the Cuban government. A young inmate's protest over lack of food, followed by his brutal beating and subsequent death, further ignited tensions.
How did the authorities respond to the Canaleta riot?
Authorities responded by deploying police reinforcements who used rubber bullets, pepper spray, and physical violence in an attempt to suppress the protest.
Were there any casualties reported during the riot?
While the official statement from MININT did not mention casualties, independent reports suggest at least seven fatalities, with coffins and ambulances seen at the prison.