how many political prisoners in cuba over course of the revolution?

The preliminary count shows that from November 3rd until now there were 56 prions, 27 on the day of the demonstration. Of that list, eight people remain unnacounted for and 21 are still in jail. These activists join the more than 650 political prisoners that remain locked up after the historical July 11th protests

Full Answer

How many political prisoners does Cuba have?

According to the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, as of October, Cuba was holding 109 political prisoners. The government denies independent human rights groups access to its prisons.

What happened to the prisoners of the Cuban Revolution?

Many served years in inhumane prisons, where they were subjected to extended solitary confinement and beatings, and denied basic medical care for serious ailments. More than 50 of the remaining prisoners were released after Fidel Castro handed over power to his brother, most on the condition that they accept exile to Spain.

How many Cubans have been detained by the Cuban government?

I couldn’t begin to give you the numbers,” says Carlos Ponce, the director of the Latin American and Caribbean division of the human-rights group Freedom House. “I can tell you that 2 million Cubans live outside Cuba, I can tell you that in the last 10 years, there have been nearly 18,000 political detainees.

What was the government of Cuba before the Communist Revolution?

Prior to the Communist revolution, Cuba was ruled under the elected government of Fulgencio Batista from 1940-1944. Throughout this time period, Batista's support base consisted mainly of corrupt politicians and military officials.

How many prisoners are in Cuba?

It also reported "from 150 to 180 high security prisons, correctional centers, settlements and camps” in Cuba. This would mean that 70,000 inmates spread across 180 facilities would average 388 inmates per facility.

What political dictator started a revolution in Cuba?

The Cuban Revolution (Spanish: Revolución Cubana) was an armed revolt conducted by Fidel Castro and his fellow revolutionaries of the 26th of July Movement and its allies against the military dictatorship of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.

What is the political situation in Cuba?

Cuba has had a socialist political system since 1959 based on the "one state – one party" principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a Marxist–Leninist socialist state guided in part by the political ideas of Karl Marx, one of the fathers of historical materialism, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin.

Can Cuban citizens leave Cuba 2021?

Travel and emigration. As of January 14, 2013, all Cuban government-imposed travel restrictions and controls have been abolished. Since that date, any Cuban citizen, with a valid passport, can leave the country at will, without let or hindrance from the Cuban authorities.

Is Cuba still communist?

Since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba.

How many political parties are there in Cuba?

Political parties The Communist Party of Cuba is the official state party and Cuba is a one-party state; the single-party system is enshrined in Article 5 of the Cuban Constitution.

Can Americans go to Cuba?

It's perfectly legal for Americans to travel to Cuba, except for explicit tourism purposes. However, you will need to meet some requirements. Specifically, you need a Cuban Tourist Card (a.k.a Cuban Visa), travel insurance, and a self-certification under one of the 12 travel categories of authorized travel to Cuba.

Is it safe in Cuba?

Cuba is generally a safe country to travel to, according to the latest report from the US Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). It is rare for travelers to experience safety issues in Cuba, although minor crimes like pickpockets and currency scams are not uncommon.

Does Cuba have the death penalty?

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Cuba, however it is seldom used. The last executions were in 2003. National legislation provides for death penalty for murder, threatening to commit murder, aggravated rape, terrorism, hijacking, piracy, drug trafficking and manufacturing, espionage, and treason.

How much does a house cost in Cuba?

For properties in less desirable areas, costs range from 5,000 to 25,000 Cuban convertible pesos, known as CUCs. Others near central, tourist or seaside areas bring prices from 50,000 to 1 million CUCs.

Why can't Americans go to Cuba?

The primary travel to Cuba restriction for Americans is accessing money while traveling – because of America's nearly 60-year-old US Cuba embargo, American debit cards and credit cards will not work on the island as they do for those traveling from any other country.

How many people were executed in the aftermath of Castro's takeover?

The 5,000 or so executed in the immediate aftermath of Castro’s 1959 takeover — sometimes after kangaroo-court trials, sometimes without even that — are included in nearly everybody’s figures.

How many Americans are in the Cuba Archive?

Yet the Cuba Archive, the Coral Gables-based organization generally regarded as the most scrupulous in documenting human-rights abuses in Cuba, uses a much lower figure of 7,193 (which, incidentally, includes 21 Americans, several of whom worked with the CIA).

What was the quilt of Castro's Genocide?

In the mid-1990s, one of the most visible reproofs to Cuba’s human-rights record was the “Quilt of Castro’s Genocide,” a collage of hand-sewn cloth panels bearing the names of about 10,000 Cubans believed to have met their deaths at the hands of their own government. But within a few years, the quilt disappeared after many ...

How many people died in the Castro regime?

Rummel, who made a career out of studying what he termed “democide,” the killing of people by their own government, reported in 1987 that credible estimates of the Castro regime’s death toll ran from 35,000 to 141,000, with a median of 73,000.

What is Danilo Maldonado's collision with the Cuban Revolution?

Danilo Maldonado’s collision with the Cuban revolution is, in some ways, a silly asterisk to history. And in others, it practically defines the country’s dilemma of the past 57 years, a state that defines itself as the people’s political vanguard, but more often seems to be their jailer.

Why was Alan Gross in prison?

government contractor jailed for five years in Cuba on spying charges, was astonished to learn that Gross’ cellmate was in prison for accepting an unauthorized tip from a foreign tourist.

When was El Sexto released from jail?

Danilo Maldonado, better known as El Sexto, stands at the entrance of his home after being released from jail in Havana on Oct. 20, 2015. Maldonado was freed after 10 months behind bars for attempting to release two pigs painted with the names of Raúl and Fidel Castro. Desmond Boylan AP.

What was the program of the Cuban Revolution?

In the immediate aftermath of the revolution, Castro's government began a program of nationalization, centralization of the press and political consolidation that transformed Cuba's economy and civil society.

What was the importance of women in the Cuban Revolution?

The importance of women's contributions to the Cuban Revolution is reflected in the very accomplishments that allowed the revolution to be successful, from the participation in the Moncada Barracks, to the Mariana Grajales all-women's platoon that served as Fidel Castro's personal security detail.

What happened in 1956 in Cuba?

The attack was repelled with ten rebels and three soldiers killed in the fighting, and one rebel summarily executed by the garrison commander. Florida International University historian Miguel A. Brito was in the nearby cathedral when the firefight began. He writes, "That day, the Cuban Revolution began for me and Matanzas."

What was the Cuban strike of 1957?

The mobilization of July 30, 1957 is considered one of the most decisive dates in both the Cuban Revolution and the fall of Batista's dictatorship. This day has been instituted in Cuba as the Day of the Martyrs of the Revolution.

How many men did Castro capture in the Battle of La Plata?

In the Battle of La Plata, which lasted from 11 to 21 July 1958, Castro's forces defeated a 500-man battalion, capturing 240 men while losing just three of their own.

When was the last battle of the Cuban Revolution?

The Battle of Las Mercedes (29 July-8 August 1958) was the last battle which occurred during the course of Operation Verano, the summer offensive of 1958 launched by the Batista Government during the Cuban Revolution.

Who was the leader of the student revolution in 1957?

The attack ended in utter failure. The RD's leader, student José Antonio Echeverría, died in a shootout with Batista's forces at the Havana radio station he had seized to spread the news of Batista's anticipated death. The handful of survivors included Dr. Humberto Castello (who later became the Inspector General in the Escambray), Rolando Cubela and Faure Chomon (both later Commandantes of the 13 March Movement, centered in the Escambray Mountains of Las Villas Province).

How did Cuba improve?

Cuba made improvements in health and education, though many of these gains were undermined by extended periods of economic hardship and by repressive policies. “As other countries in the region turned away from authoritarian rule, only Fidel Castro’s Cuba continued to repress virtually all civil and political rights,” said José Miguel Vivanco, ...

What were Cuba's major achievements under Castro?

Cuba made important advances under Castro in the progressive realization of some economic, social, and cultural rights such as education and healthcare. For example, UNESCO has concluded that there is near-universal literacy on the island, and the country either met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that the UN established in 2000, ...

Why did Castro use the embargo?

Rather than isolating Cuba, the policy isolated the US. Castro proved especially adept at using the embargo to garner sympathy abroad, while at the same time exploiting it as a pretext to repress legitimate efforts to reform Cuba from within, dismissing them as US-driven and -funded initiatives.

What was Fidel Castro's record?

Cuba: Fidel Castro’s Record of Repression. (Washington, DC) – During his nearly five decades of rule in Cuba, Fidel Castro built a repressive system that punished virtually all forms of dissent, a dark legacy that lives on even after his death. During Castro’s rule, thousands of Cubans were incarcerated in abysmal prisons, ...

What was Castro's denial of freedoms?

The denial of fundamental freedoms throughout Castro’s decades in power was unrelenting, and marked by periods of heightened repression, such as the 2003 crackdown on 75 human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and other critics of the government. Accused of being “mercenaries” of the United States government, ...

When did Fidel Castro come to power?

Castro came to power in 1959 after leading a revolution that toppled the corrupt and abusive government of Fulgencio Batista. He ruled by decree until 1976, when a new constitution – whose drafting he oversaw – reformed the structure of the government. From that time until he transferred power to his brother Raúl in July 2006, ...

Who did Obama meet in Cuba?

In March, President Obama visited Cuba, where he met with President Raúl Castro, as well as with representatives of Cuban civil society.

How many political prisoners are there in Cuba?

Political Prisoners. According to the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, as of October, Cuba was holding 109 political prisoners. The government denies independent human rights groups access to its prisons.

How many arbitrary detentions are there in Cuba?

The number of short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others was lower in 2019 than in 2018, but remained high, with more than 1,800 arbitrary detentions reported through August. The government continues ...

Why can't Cubans read blogs?

Only a fraction of Cubans can read independent websites and blogs because of the high cost of, and limited access to, the internet. In 2017, Cuba announced it would gradually extend home internet services.

What tactics does Cuba use against critics?

The government continues to use other repressive tactics against critics, including beatings, public shaming, travel restrictions, and termination of employment. In February, a new Constitution of the Republic of Cuba was approved in a referendum, which entered into force in April.

How long was Cardet in prison?

Cardet, a supporter of the “One Cuban, One Vote” campaign, had been sentenced to three years in prison in March 2017. During his imprisonment, he was held in solitary confinement and denied visits and contact with family members, even by phone.

What is the name of the group that detained women in white?

Police or state security agents routinely harass, rough up, and detain members of the Ladies in White ( Damas de Blanco )—a group founded by the wives, mothers, and daughters of political prisoners—before or after they attend Sunday mass.

When did the Cuban police detain gay rights activists?

Cuban police detain gay rights activists taking part in an unauthorized march in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 11, 2019. The Cuban government continues to repress and punish dissent and public criticism. The number of short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others was lower in 2019 than in 2018, ...