Cuban political prisoner José Ramón Solano Randiche begins hunger strike over revoked prison pass

José Ramón Solano Randiche, serving a 13‑year sentence for sedition after the July 11, 2021 protests in Holguín, started a hunger strike on 14 July. He began the protest after prison authorities cancelled the regular leave that would have let him attend his two‑year‑old son’s birthday. He is being held in the medical wing of Holguín Provincial Prison. His wife, Liuba María Gallo Plácido, confirmed the strike and said officials cited an “order from above” for the suspension.

In a related crackdown, dozens of demonstrators who protested a prolonged blackout in Santiago de Las Vegas, Boyeros municipality, were transferred to the provisional detention center El Vivac. Protesters complained of months‑long power and water cuts and reported police violence, including beatings of children. The arrests highlight the Cuban government’s tightened response to dissent.