Cuban Security Forces Quell Prison Riot Amid Protests for Political Freedom

Havana: Cuban security forces have cracked down hard on inmates, following a prison riot, non-governmental organizations and opposition figures reported on Thursday. The prisoners are said to have protested against poor conditions and for political freedom at Canaleta prison, in the central province of Ciego de Ávila. According to Ghana News Agency, José Daniel Ferrer, an opposition leader living in exile in the United States, posted video clips on his social media accounts purportedly showing the protests. Whistles and shouts of 'Patria y Vida' (Homeland and Life), a slogan of the 2021 protests, can be heard. Ambulances are said to have been deployed, and unconfirmed reports suggest there were two deaths and several injuries. Relatives of the prisoners gathered in front of the detention centre, according to the Madrid-based organization Prisoners Defenders. The police are believed to have used pepper spray and rubber bullets against the inmates. The Documentation Centre for Cuban Prisons, based in Mexico, reported that several people were taken to hospital with head injuries or as a result of the use of pepper spray. Cuba is in one of its deepest economic, social, and political crises since the 1959 revolution under Fidel Castro. The situation has recently been exacerbated by US President Donald Trump's policy towards the island. Following Trump's tariff threat against Cuba's oil suppliers, the island is officially no longer receiving oil from abroad. Washington hopes this will force Cuba's communist government to implement economic and political reforms.