Unjustly jailed dissident rapper, “El Critico”, has contracted cholera in prison (Updated 8/2/13)

Ángel Yunier Remón Arzuaga, dissident rapper best known as ‘El Critico’ from the hip-hop duo The Unwanted Children (‘Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso’), has contracted cholera during his unjust imprisonment, according to a relative, Julia Rosa Pina, in an audio published by the Patriotic Union of Cuba (organization to which he also belongs) during dawn hours of August 1st.

“Angel Yunier, who is arbitrarily detained, is suffering from cholera right now and  they have reported his health as ‘critical””, declared Pina in the audio, adding that the young musician was taken to the Hospital of Manzanillo, far from his family and friends  from the opposition.

“In reality we do not have all the details of the situation because these people [the regime] manipulate information…all we know is that they are saying he is ‘critical’ and that in Las Mangas Prison there are many cases of cholera, while in the city of Bayamo the situation has gotten out of hand and there are 3 people who have died due to the sickness“, added Julia.

In days past, Remon Arzuaga’s wife – Yudisbel Roseyo Mojena – had informed that Las Mangas Prison, where he was being held behind bars without a trial and in pure arbitrary fashion, had been put in quarantine due to a breakout of cholera.  Ironically, the rapper had given a discourse in his jail cell to various prisoners in regards to bad hygienic practices in the penitentiary.  This cost him a beating at the hands of a common prisoners being manipulated by State Security and now he suffers from cholera.

Relatives and activists, such as Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia (leader of UNPACU) have expressed profound worry for the life of Angel Yunier, who has been subjected to different forms of aggression and blackmail at the hands of the political police since his unjust arrest on March 26th, after he gave a public discourse in favor of freedom outside of his home in Bayamo.

Remon’s young wife has had to be on-top of his situation as much as possible all the while raising their 5 month year old son, who has barely even seen his father.

“We are calling on the international community so that they please support this young man – Angel Yunier.  At this moment, he needs all the support he can get, as does his family, who just because they decided to fight for Cuba’s freedom have found that many people have turned their backs on them“, expressed Julia, “and that’s why I am sending out this message…we will not give up demanding his freedom“.

At the moment this news was put together, we had not been able to establish communication with the wife of the musician, considering that she does not have a cell phone because political police agents robbed and destroyed all communication equipment the family owned when they raided their home in March.

#PassItOn for Ángel Yunier Remón Arzuaga ‘El Critico’.  We cannot allow the death of another Cuban for simply speaking without censorship and working towards a new Cuba, as well as for making protest music.  #FreeElCritico

*** UPDATE 8/2/13 – Yudisbel Roseyo Mojena confirms that her husband, Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, has been returned to Las Mangas Prison in Bayamo at around 3 PM of August 1st.  She explained to this blog that the rapper is “just a bit better” but is still suffering from the effects of cholera.

Yudisbel recounts that Angel Yunier was taken to the Manzanillo Hospital on July 28th but no one informed her of this.  She found out about the situation through a friend who is a political prisoner who managed to briefly establish communication with her via phone.

“Upon finding out the news, I went to the Manzanillo Hospital and there were many State Security and Ministry of the Interior agents there and they would not let anyone pass to the salon where Yunier was“, explained the young Cuban woman.  In addition, the authorities would not tell her, or any other family member, that it was cholera that the dissident was suffering from, but Yudisbel was able to confirm it afterward with a doctor.

“State Security prohibited doctors from telling us that it was cholera and were lying and saying that it was just a contagious virus“, said Yudisbel, who publicly complained in the hospital.

Although Angel Yunier is back in Bayamo, closer to his family, Yudisbel highlights that his life still runs danger, considering that Las Mangas Prison has had numerous cases of cholera.

“Thanks to a nurse who decided to help us, Yunier managed to send a note in which he explained that when he was taken to the Manzanillo Hospital there had already been more than 100 cases of cholera in Las Mangas Prison, where 4 of these people had already died.  He also wrote that medical attention in the mention prison is horrible as are the hygienic conditions“.

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For more information from Cuba:

José Daniel Ferrer García – Cell Phone: + 53-146-740 / Twitter: @jdanielferrer
Yudisbel Roseyo Mojena (relative’s phone): +23-445-762