"Yuri's life is under threat in prison, first of all because the State Security has repeatedly threatened him with death. Several years ago, for attending the Dominican church, they put a gun to his head, leaving him deeply psychologically affected... He even had to undergo a psychological treatment. They sent him to a psychologist who dedicated many years to his recovery from the impact of that traumatic moment. Right now, if Yuri does not comply with the Castro's will, they can kill him as they have done with many brothers. In fact, I will always continue to say that they are effectively murdering him by withholding necessary medical assistance to a person who got diseases inside the prison that he never had before, progressively complicating the state of his organs which leads to a slow death."
"The trial unfolded as if he were one of the most prominent criminal bosses in all of Cuba. It didn't look like a trial of a person. He was removed from Combinado del Este with a full escort, not just him… four, five other guys linked to the case. They were taken out separately, accompanied by numerous patrol cars, mounted police, State Security vehicles, all with sirens blaring, making their way from Combinado to here, to Marianao. All vehicles had to clear the path. No one could approach the courthouse; they were all armed inside. They blocked the road from 51st Street to the Obelisco part. Anyone attempting to get close was met with force and sent to a prison. They blocked access for others; none could pass through the surroundings of the Marianao court or its side streets."
"About... the neighborhood of San Miguel (del Padrón) in fact it has always been a place full of troublesome boys, mostly adolescents around thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years. Maybe even twelve. Currently, they are having a lot of clashes among themselves. One of the major causes has been the drugs that they started using at their parties, in their gatherings, leading to stabbing, shooting… So, the police show up when there are already two or three dead, when the fight is already almost under control. There was a case right there in San Miguel with a nephew of mine. Fortunately, so far, there are no bad news. At least there, as in all Havana, nobody solves their problem with punches. No... they use knifes; they solve it with gunshots. In San Miguel del Padrón there have always been guns. I don't know where they get them from, but they’re there. And as for containers... I remember one time a container of weapons went missing there in San Miguel del Padrón. Maybe they found it by now, or maybe not, because this kind of news doesn't get published in Cuban media. So, these things just keep happening over and over."
Eralidis Frometa Polanco was born the 27th of November 27, 1973, in Palma Soriano, a city surrounded by cocoa and sugar cane plantations in the province of Santiago de Cuba. Around the age of 12, she moved to Havana. She first lived in the Boyeros neighborhood, later she moved to San Miguel del Padrón with her husband and two children and today she lives in Nuevo Vedado. From a young age Eralidis was quite resistant to the indoctrination attempts on her in the institutions. She refused to participate in both school and community activities. Her connection to opponents of the Cuban regime began through her first husband’s involvement in the People’s Republican Party. This led to persecution of her family members by the authorities. It became evident when Eralidis’ son was expelled from school twice. She then took the initiative approaching various institutions to assert his rights. However, she received no positive response. Later, Eralidis started supporting members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba. Engaging in activities within the Cuban opposition movement, she frequently faced officials and endured several beatings. Currently, she is devoted to reporting on the condition of her partner, Lázaro Yuri Valle Roca. This independent journalist initially faced charges of enemy propaganda, resulting in imprisonment and a five-year sentence. Eralidis claims that the opposition journalist is dealing with severe health issues due to mistreatment in prison and a lack of proper medical care.
