The Cuban opposition couple, Donaida Pérez Paseiro and Loreto Hernández García, are under pressure from State Security to leave the country, which is presented as their only path to release from prison.
According to Pérez Paseiro's statements to Martí Noticias, two officials, identified as Arturo and Christopher, contacted her husband, demanding foreign documents to expedite the couple's departure.
"They know that once we are out of prison, we will continue our fight for Cuba's freedom," she asserted.
The activist further stated that the oppressive agents are urging them to speed up their arrangements, regardless of the destination country. In her view, this is an attempt to prevent them from resuming their political activism on the island once freed.
"I believe they are desperate for us to be exiled from our homeland," she specified.
Both remain incarcerated at the Guamajal penitentiary complex in Villa Clara.
Pressure from Political Police
Former political prisoner Jorge Luis García Pérez, known as Antúnez and brother to Hernández García, confirmed to Martí Noticias that the couple has reported continuous pressure from the political police.
"High-ranking officials of the political police persistently insist on speeding up the paperwork to secure their release, on the condition that they leave the country," Antúnez reported.
He noted that both have reluctantly agreed to leave due to their declining health and prison conditions, although they would have preferred to stay in Cuba.
"The degrading conditions they face have led them to choose exile," he highlighted, emphasizing that their decision aims to "save their lives and regain their freedom."
Background and Health Concerns
Pérez Paseiro and Hernández García were sentenced in February 2022 to eight and seven years in prison, respectively, for participating in the July 11, 2021 protests in Placetas, Villa Clara.
The activist was temporarily released in January 2025 as part of a broader measure that freed 553 people early, but her probation was revoked by the Provincial People's Court of Villa Clara in June for alleged non-compliance.
Human rights organizations claim the revocation was politically motivated, as Pérez Paseiro continued to vocally demand freedom for her husband and other prisoners of conscience.
In April, Rosabel Sánchez, Hernández García's daughter, reported the deteriorating health of both her father and Pérez Paseiro during a visit to Guamajal prison. Hernández showed severe respiratory issues, unmanaged diabetes, pancreatitis, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. Meanwhile, Donaida suffered from chronic bone pain and dangerously high blood pressure.
Hernández García is the president of the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba, and his wife serves as the same organization's leader and Yoruba priestess.
Conditioning the release of political prisoners on their departure from the country is a common tactic of the Cuban government. The same approach was taken with José Daniel Ferrer and Sissi Abascal Zamora.
Cuban Political Prisoners: Key Concerns and Developments
What pressures are Cuban political prisoners facing to leave the country?
Cuban political prisoners like Donaida Pérez Paseiro and Loreto Hernández García are being pressured by State Security to leave Cuba as a condition for their release, a tactic to prevent them from continuing their activism on the island.
Why do human rights organizations consider these actions politically motivated?
Human rights groups argue that the revocation of Pérez Paseiro's probation and the pressure to leave the country are politically motivated because they aim to silence dissent and prevent the couple from continuing their fight for freedom in Cuba.
What are the health issues faced by Pérez Paseiro and Hernández García in prison?
Both Pérez Paseiro and Hernández García suffer from serious health problems, including respiratory issues, unmanaged diabetes, pancreatitis, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, chronic bone pain, and high blood pressure, exacerbated by poor prison conditions.