Gabriela is a 17-year-old girl who is a symbol of popular participation in the July 11 in Cuba. She went to the hairdresser that afternoon and went through the demonstration, when she was arrested and severely harassed. In prison, she was a victim of sexist violence, as she had to take off her clothes in front of the officers, which is not in accordance with the legislation for teenagers, and she also had to check her intimate parts in front of them. Gabriela was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment and is now under house arrest.
We reject the absurd repression against young combatants in Cuba and also the harassment to which Gabriela was subjected. The General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Cuba assumed the summary trial of 62 demonstrators. Of these, 41 remain unidentified by the social movements accompanying the prisoners. In other words, it is not known who they are, how long they have been imprisoned, where they are. The list of prisoners drawn up by the movements, however, points to 785 people, and 31 others under the age of 18.
The U.S. blockade and any imperialist interference in the island must be repudiated. However, in addition to fighting together against the blockade, it is fundamental to reject the repression of the Díaz-Canel dictatorship and, therefore, we demand the freedom of Gabriela Zequeira and the other prisoners in Cuba!
Freedom for Gabriela Zequeira Hernández
