Cuban political prisoner Luis Barrios Diaz passed away on Sunday due to the negligence of prison authorities, according to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH). Barrios Diaz, 37, had been in prison for nine years after being sentenced for participating in historic protests on July 11, 2021. The Madrid-based non-governmental organization said that he began experiencing respiratory problems in August and was admitted to the infirmary of prison 1580 in San Miguel del Padron, Havana. Despite medical advice to remain in the hospital, the prison authorities decided to send him back to the facility due to a lack of fuel for constant monitoring.
Barrios Diaz’s health deteriorated and he died after undergoing emergency surgery at La Covadonga Hospital on Saturday due to respiratory complications. OCDH called for immediate action regarding his death and urged the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. The organization pointed out that other political prisoners such as Felix Navarro and Jose Daniel Ferrer were also suffering from deteriorating health conditions.
OCDH requested a statement from democratic governments and the European Union on the serious situation facing political prisoners in Cuba, emphasizing that it is the state’s responsibility to provide adequate medical services to these individuals.