Cuban government releases opponent Félix Navarro

The Cuban dictatorship released, this Saturday (18), the opponent Félix Navarro, recognized by Amnesty International (AI) as a prisoner of conscience. Navarro was sentenced to 9 years in prison, accused of attacks and public disorder following the protests against the government, which took place in Cuba, on July 11, 2021.

He was detained together with his daughter, independent journalist Sayli Navarro, co-founder of the Ladies in White movement, who remains in prison.

Navarro, 71, is coordinator of the Pedro Luis Boitel Democracy Party and vice-president of the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba (CTDC), and was serving his third sentence “for political reasons”.

Felix Navarro He was one of 75 opponents arrested and sentenced in the so-called Black Spring of 2003, remaining on probation due to his weakened health, affected by diabetes and other illnesses.

Last Tuesday, the 14th, the Government of Cuba announced the release of 553 prisoners after mediation from the Vatican, which included the island’s removal from the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism, a decision taken by the outgoing president, Joe Biden. . A day later, Cuban authorities began the process.

According to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH), at least 65 people arrested for political reasons were released.

The list with the names of the 553 people was not presented publicly, but the government guaranteed that, as of Thursday, a total of 127 people had received some type of extra-penal benefit.

Félix Navarro’s release occurred two days after José Daniel Ferrer and Luis Robles, also prisoners of conscience, were released.