There are no depths to the depravity communism is willing to go to, or harm and humiliation it is willing to inflict on its enemies. Abuse and indignity are the hallmarks of Cuba’s socialist revolution.
‘I was sexually assaulted’: Former political prisoner speaks about being raped in prison
Former political prisoner Julio César González Morales tells CubaNet that he had was abused and sexually assaulted during his time in prison.
Convicted in 1993 for the alleged crime of sabotage, the dissident explained that such practices are common in the island’s prisons, where degrading treatment against inmates prevails.
“I had to face all sorts of situations there,” González said about his imprisonment.
After having escaped for 72 hours from a prison in Holguín, the activist was apprehended and confined to a special prison.
“The special prison has always been a place where they have taken prisoners to torture them to the maximum and completely break them through a variety of mostly cruel methods.”
The dissident, who resides in the town of Cacocum in Holguín, points out that in an environment like prison, inmates are moved like animals from one cell block to another. In many cases, the method of torture is sexual assault. “That’s what they did to me.”
Both the former political prisoner and his mother have been arrested and oppressed in public during their participation in peaceful protests. His mother notes that in Julio César’s specific case, he has been “beaten to death” on several occasions.
“You can already imagine. Our situation has been one of persecution. They have campaigned against us. They have done everything to us.”
The vast majority of Cuban political prisoners have denounced all sorts of abusive practices in the island’s prisons, ranging from violations of basic rights (visits, food, medical services) to beatings and cruelty against inmates by prison authorities and even common prisoners who enjoy impunity to exert violence.