“The noblest way to avenge an insult is not to imitate he who has offended us.” – Jorge Manuel Valls Arango 1933 – 2015, a Cuban prisoner of conscience and a poet he spent 20 years and 40 days in a Cuban prison.
International Day of Political Prisoners
October 30th is the International Day of Political Prisoners. 52 years ago on October 30, 1974 the idea of marking a day of political prisoners in the Soviet Union was initiated with a 24-hour fast. It began a powerful movement against repression led by Russian dissidents, Sergei Kovalev and Andrei Sakharov.
Today at 5:00pm Freedom House, the October 30 Coalition, and the National Endowment for Democracy invite the public to gather at the Lincoln Memorial for a ceremony honoring political prisoners and those working for their freedom. You can still register here to attend.
Freedom House in recognition of this day highlighted the cases of several current political prisoners last year, including two Cubans, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel ‘Osorbo’ Castillo.There are currently over one thousand three hundred political prisoners in Cuba. Two hundred more than in 2025.
Most were jailed for taking part in nationwide protests in July 2021demanding freedom, human rights, and an end to dictatorship. The National Endowment for Democracy, the World Movement for Democracy and Freedom House held a virtual event last year that provided a global context, and is available on Youtube.
The Cuban context
This blog entry explores this reality within the Cuban context. Cuban prisoners of conscience have been a reality in Cuba since 1959. Some of them had participated in the struggle against Batista, and made Fidel Castro’s rise to power possible.Huber Matos, a school teacher, declared himself in opposition to Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952 the day that Cuban democracy came under attack. Following the extrajudicial killing of some of his former students he joined the armed struggle and ended up being one of the leaders of the revolutionary insurrection that drove Batista from power early on New Year’s Day 1959.
The commandant
Huber Matos fought against Batista. Spent 22 years jailed for nonviolent dissent with communist rule.Less than a year later he would be on trial for his life. What was his crime? Warning Fidel Castro in several private letters, where he tendered his resignation only to have it refused, that communists were infiltrating the revolutionary government. In these letters he plainly stated:
“I did not want to become an obstacle to the revolution and I believe that if I am forced to choose between falling into line or withdrawing from the world so as not to do harm, the most honorable and revolutionary action is to leave.”
Fidel Castro made the letters public generating the crisis and denouncing the charge that communists were infiltrating the government. He ordered Camilo Cienfuegos, another popular revolutionary leader, to arrest Matos. The Castro brothers began to prepare a show trial and the execution by firing squad of Huber Matos for treason. The revolutionary tribunal was prepared. Fidel Castro spoke to Matos promising that if he confessed to everything that he would not face any prison time and could go home. Matos refused, and as the show trial began and they tried to shut him up – he refused. He went on to speak for more that three hours and concluded his testimony stating:
“I consider myself neither a traitor nor a deserter. My conscience is clear. If the court should find me guilty, I shall accept its decision – even though I may be shot. I would consider it one more service for the revolution.”
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