Cuban Poet Advocates for José Gabriel Barrenechea: "Shout His Name, for He Is a Man of High Caliber"

This past Sunday, Cuban poet and improviser Juan Carlos García Guridi took to Facebook to share a heartfelt poem titled "No More Parties," demanding justice for independent writer and journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez, who is currently held as a political prisoner in La Pendiente prison, located in Santa Clara.

Crafted as a short sonnet, the poem captures the deep outrage felt by writers, activists, and human rights organizations regarding Barrenechea's situation: "Barrenechea / is locked away, / what a dismay / so grim and gray! / If God may / plan his release, / who would cease / his freedom's way? / Shout his name, / for he stands / a man of high caliber. / No more party / just born to be / ever free."

The poem’s release coincides with the Cuban Supreme Court's decision to uphold Barrenechea's six-year prison sentence, effectively exhausting his last legal recourse.

The Origins of the Barrenechea Case

The case dates back to November 2024, when residents of Encrucijada, Villa Clara, took to the streets banging pots and pans after enduring more than 48 hours without electricity. Barrenechea, a contributor to the independent outlet 14ymedio, was arrested following the protest; Cubalex reported at least nine arbitrary detentions related to the demonstration.

In January 2026, the Villa Clara Provincial Court sentenced six individuals to a total of 34 years of imprisonment, some of which did not involve incarceration, for their involvement in the Encrucijada events, giving Barrenechea a six-year sentence for "public disorder." On July 28, 2026, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal and confirmed the sentences of three other protesters.

Legal and Human Implications

The court justified its actions by claiming the protest "overstepped constitutional protection by creating loud noises with metal objects and blocking pedestrian and vehicular traffic." Cubalex condemned this logic as absurd, highlighting that it contradicts the UN Human Rights Committee's General Comment No. 37, which states that "temporary traffic disruption, noises, or chants do not negate the peaceful nature of a protest."

The human aspect of this case adds another layer of cruelty. While Barrenechea remained imprisoned, his mother, Zoila Esther Chávez Pérez, aged 84, was battling metastatic cancer. Authorities denied humanitarian leave; a saying attributed to a prison official circulated among activists: "The son will see his mother when she dies."

Zoila Esther passed away on May 4, 2025, without reuniting with her son. From behind bars, Barrenechea penned a poignant letter, stating: "The fault is mine. Knowing the country I live in, I committed the grave crime of joining my neighbors in a civic demand for electricity."

García Guridi's Poetic Activism

García Guridi’s poem is not an isolated act. Throughout 2026, the poet—born in Batabanó, Mayabeque, in 1968—has released a series of socially critical pieces that have resonated widely, including a décima about garbage accumulation in Bejucal and the poem "Catharsis," where he wrote: "To endure in silence / earns no medal: / a poet who holds his tongue / dies, but of silence."

The case of Barrenechea has drawn condemnation from the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Human Rights Foundation, CIVICUS, and Prisoners Defenders, all demanding his immediate release. Cubalex summarized the situation succinctly: "Peaceful protest is not a crime. Therefore, we reiterate our demand for the immediate and unconditional release of José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez and all those imprisoned in Cuba for exercising their rights."