Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, the national coordinator of Cuba's Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and a member of the Communist Party's Political Bureau, has sparked a wave of criticism on social media. This came after he posted about the deaths of Cubans in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, while seemingly turning a blind eye to the numerous deaths occurring in the prisons of the regime he represents.
On his Facebook page, "Gerardo de Los Cinco," Hernández commented, "Cubans continue to die in Trump's dungeons while the hate industry’s politicians try to distract people with Cuba." His post featured an image with the headline "Family of Cuban Dead in ICE Custody Demands Answers" and the text, "And what does María Elvira say..?" in reference to Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar.
Public Outcry Over Prisoner Deaths
Social media users quickly responded with hundreds of comments echoing the question, "What about the deaths in Cuban prisons?" The post was prompted by the case of Denny Adán González, a 33-year-old Cuban who died on April 28 in Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, after being found unconscious in solitary confinement.
ICE labeled the death as a "suspected suicide," a claim that González's family strongly disputes. "The guards killed him," declared his mother, Lourdes González Suárez, who demands an independent, serious, and transparent investigation into her son's death.
Recent Deaths in ICE Custody
Unfortunately, González's case is not isolated. Three Cubans have died in ICE custody in 2026 alone: Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, was found dead from asphyxiation on January 3 in Fort Bliss, Texas, contradicting ICE’s initial account of his death; Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, 27, died on April 12 at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, also classified as a "suspected suicide."
According to Physicians for Human Rights, a total of 33 immigrants died in ICE custody in 2025, marking the highest number in over 20 years.
Cuba's Prison Death Record
Critics of Hernández are particularly vocal about the disparity between his selective outrage and the Cuban regime's own record of prison deaths. Human rights organizations documented 24 deaths and 160 torture allegations in Cuban prisons during the first half of 2025, as reported by the Cuban Prison Documentation Center.
In 2024 alone, at least 40 inmates died in Cuban prisons, according to the Cuban Human Rights Observatory. Between January 2022 and January 2024, Cubalex documented 56 deaths in Cuban state custody, including convicted prisoners, detainees in police stations, and those who died during military service.
Understanding Cuban Prison Conditions and Deaths
How many deaths have been reported in Cuban prisons in 2025?
In the first half of 2025, human rights organizations documented 24 deaths and 160 allegations of torture in Cuban prisons.
What is the significance of the death toll under ICE custody in 2025?
In 2025, the death toll of 33 immigrants under ICE custody was the highest in more than two decades, highlighting significant concerns over detainee treatment.
What has been the response of Gerardo Hernández to the scrutiny?
Gerardo Hernández has faced backlash for his comments on U.S. custody deaths while ignoring similar issues within Cuba, leading to a social media uproar questioning his selective criticism.