Ferrer Does Not Back Down Upon His Release
Ferrer was released on Thursday after three and a half years in prison, although his sentence had technically expired last December.
By Francisco Acevedo
HAVANA TIMES – The gradual release of dozens of prisoners that occurred this week undoubtedly marked the events in Cuba, especially that of the most emblematic of all: opposition leader Jose Daniel Ferrer, founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu), who had been imprisoned since July 11, 2021.
First and foremost, his release is part of a group of 553 individuals serving various sentences, and according to the government, it came following Vatican mediation, particularly the most recent message from Pope Francis, who called for gestures of clemency worldwide.
Ferrer was released on Thursday after three and a half years in prison, although his sentence had technically expired last December. Hours later, he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo that he felt ashamed of the agreement between the US government, the Catholic Church, and the Cuban regime.
“Today they release 553, and in three months they imprison 5,000 more, including many of those just released. And then, in three years, they release 500, 200, or however many…,” he explained to the press.
The Unpacu leader stated that he refused to sign conditional release because he is innocent of the charges against him, and before accepting such conditions, he insisted on staying in prison, but he was forced to leave.
In a public statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry assured that the release had nothing to do with Cuba’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism or the suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act. They attributed it to ecclesiastical efforts, which are known to be frequent, though often unsuccessful.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin declared on Wednesday that it was a sign of great hope and expressed his desire for 2025 to continue in this direction.
This is the first prisoner release in Cuba since 2019, when authorities pardoned 2,604 inmates. The previous one was in 2015, when 3,522 were released ahead of the visit of the Pope.
However, statements from Cuba’s top Catholic authority, Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García, went viral when he claimed he was unaware of Vatican mediation regarding the prisoner release.
“I just found out now,” the cardinal told Martí Noticias on Tuesday when asked about the announcement. “I don’t know if there will be prisoner releases because these efforts have been made for many years, sometimes successfully, sometimes not,” he commented, adding that the Pope had been asked for this many times.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden reversed a 2017 decision last Tuesday, made during the first term of Republican Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20.
Additionally, during a press session, a US official stated that these measures would bring “quick” relief to Cubans arrested after the July 11 protests, indicating that there was indeed a political negotiation behind it, contrary to claims that it was purely an act of charity.
Regarding Ferrer, throughout these nearly four years, he suffered various forms of blackmail and assaults in prison (on December 9, 2022, he was beaten in front of his youngest son while handcuffed). He also went on hunger strikes because, among other things, he had almost two years without communication with his family. Since his arrest, he was confined in a punishment cell technologically designed for isolation, which is not meant to last more than a week.
Ferrer’s physical deterioration was confirmed by Monsignor Dionisio García, who visited him last September at Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba and reported his concerning condition.
He recounted that Ferrer spent the last two months with six common prisoners, one of whom stole his food and another who constantly made weapons out of anything.
However, far from breaking, he remained firm, and upon his release, his message was: “Do not be afraid to confront the dictatorship. The tyranny will not intimidate me with thugs,” said the 54-year-old from Santiago.
His figure is admired among fellow opposition members, many of whom see him as a future leader in a democratic Cuba. He has repeatedly received offers from the regime of Miguel Diaz-Canel to leave the country, but his position has been unwavering: “I would rather die in prison than abandon the country.”
While he is correct in stating that this release is symbolic and that he could be re-arrested at any time (recently, two young men were sentenced to up to five years for posting criticism of the government on social media), the time he remains free can serve as an important voice for the consciousness of Cubans inside the island, who fear repression.
Questions about the underlying motives of this initiative remain, but just like in his case, the new US administration could reverse the decision at any moment and put Cuba back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
This same week, Marco Rubio, whom the president-elect chose as Secretary of State, outlined the foreign policy course the US will take over the next four years, particularly regarding Latin America.
During a Senate hearing that must confirm his appointment, the son of Cuban immigrants who arrived in the US before Fidel Castro’s revolution stated that the island deserves to remain on the list.
“Cuba is literally collapsing both generationally and economically,” he said, adding that Havana will have to make a decision: allow Cubans to “control their economic and political destiny, even if it threatens the regime’s security and stability,” or “remain the owners and controllers of a fourth-world country.”