Cuban hunger‑strike activists face critical health crises

Independent activist Guillermo del Sol Pérez has been on a hunger strike for more than 42 days at his home in Santa Clara, with doctors warning of imminent collapse. His protest demands the release of political prisoner Leonel Tristá García and 17 others detained after the July 11, 2021 protests. Del Sol suffers severe diabetes, hypertension, extreme weight loss and dehydration, and has previously fainted after 40 days without food.

Political prisoner Yaser Fernando Rodríguez González, 42, has been on a hunger strike for a week in the Augusto César Sandino penitentiary in Pinar del Río. He is reported to be suffering from severe hepatitis and denial of medical care, nutrition and medication, putting his life in immediate danger. Rodríguez began his strike on July 27 to protest alleged abuses by prison officials.

Both cases illustrate the deteriorating health of Cuban dissidents who use hunger strikes to protest prison conditions and demand the release of detained opposition figures, amid accusations of mistreatment by state authorities.