On Thursday, Cuban State Security summoned three individuals from the 11J protests in San Antonio de los Baños—Joel Díaz Hernández, Omar Hernández Calzadilla, and Miguel Díaz Sosa—to appear today at the Department of State Security (DSE). This follows their recent social media post calling for the release of a fellow protester who remains imprisoned.
Independent journalist José Raúl Gallego brought attention to this issue, sharing a photo of the official summons signed by Second Lieutenant of the National Revolutionary Police, Yoreily López Guerrero, dated April 2nd.
The summons addressed to Joel Díaz Hernández specifies the purpose as an "interview" and warns that failure to appear without a valid reason could result in a "50 peso fine or charges for failure to assist or disobedience."
The three were released from prison in 2025 as part of a negotiated agreement involving the Cuban regime, the Vatican, and the Biden Administration, which led to the release of 553 prisoners.
Triggering Event and Context
The immediate cause for these summons was their social media post on Wednesday, demanding freedom for Denis Hernández Ramírez, another 11J protester. Denis had his parole revoked on March 25th due to his online posts criticizing State Security's surveillance and harassment.
Gallego highlighted that this situation is "extremely concerning, as it mirrors the same method used to revoke Denis' parole just a week ago."
Background on 11J Protesters
Denis Hernández Ramírez is known for his six-year sentence for "offending the authorities" and "public disorder" following the July 11-12, 2021 protests. He is the seventh documented case of a 11J releasee being re-incarcerated since January 2025.
The releases negotiated with the Vatican did not equate to amnesty or sentence annulment but offered revocable prison benefits, a tactic the regime frequently employs to keep released individuals under control.
Humanitarian Gesture or Political Strategy?
The summons coincided with the regime's announcement of pardoning 2,010 prisoners, which the official newspaper Granma portrayed as a humanitarian and sovereign act during Holy Week.
However, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that only 27 political prisoners have been released under the prior Vatican agreement, which was announced on March 12th with a promise of 51 releases.
According to Prisoners Defenders, there were 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba by the end of February, while Justicia 11J estimates the number to be at least 760, including 358 from the 11J movement.
Opposition figure José Daniel Ferrer accused the regime of using the pardons to alleviate its predicament, as journalist Gallego and other analysts stress the severity of ongoing politically-motivated incarcerations, while the government attempts to buy time and deceive the international community with so-called "humanitarian" gestures.
Key Questions on Cuban Political Prisoners
What prompted the Cuban State Security to summon the 11J protesters?
The summons were prompted by the protesters' social media post demanding the release of their fellow 11J protester, Denis Hernández Ramírez, whose parole was recently revoked.
How did the Cuban regime respond to demands for political prisoner releases?
The regime announced the pardoning of 2,010 prisoners as a humanitarian gesture, though only a small number of political prisoners have been released under prior agreements.