Five years later, the wound of 11 July in Cuba remains open

On 11 July 2021, thousands of people in Cuba took to the streets to demand freedom, electricity, human rights, and a dignified life. The State responded with brutal repression against activists and protesters.

Many faced arbitrary detention, threats, forced exile, trials without due process, and disproportionate sentences. Their families have also borne the absence of their loved ones, fear, and persecution for demanding justice.

Five years later, 11 July remains an unresolved debt for the Cuban State.

According to Justicia 11J, there are at least 823 people deprived of liberty for political reasons in Cuba. Meanwhile, the crisis that led many people to protest five years ago has only deepened. Today, the population faces prolonged daily power outages, since October 2024, the entire country has experienced eight total collapses of the National Electric System as well as food shortages and the constant deterioration of basic services. In response, so far in 2026, 614 spontaneous public protests have been recorded, and they continue to be met with heavy repression.

For this reason, remembering 11 July is not merely an exercise in memory. It is an exercise in recognizing the serious absence of human rights guarantees by the Cuban State towards its citizens.

Civil Rights Defenders demands the immediate and unconditional release of all people detained for exercising their rights, an end to repression against protesters, family members, and human rights defenders, and real guarantees so that the Cuban people can express themselves without fear.