The communist regime in Cuba is reportedly preparing a ten-year prison sentence for Alexander Verdecia, a 51-year-old Christian dissident and member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), over Facebook posts critical of the government. Martí Noticias reported Tuesday that Verdecia remains imprisoned without a trial date at Las Mangas prison in Bayamo under harsh conditions.
Verdecia, a vocal Christian critic of the Castro regime, was arrested in February and charged with “propaganda against the constitutional order.” The charge followed years of his online advocacy denouncing the poverty and government oppression in Río Cauto, where he resides. Since his detention, Verdecia has reportedly endured sleeping on the floor with only cardboard and suffering from inadequate food.
His wife, Eliannis Villavicencio, told Martí Noticias that Cuban authorities handed Verdecia a document outlining the proposed ten-year sentence. The couple decided Verdecia would represent himself at trial, citing the futility of hiring government-aligned lawyers. “Getting a lawyer is pointless,” Villavicencio said, accusing the regime of pre-determining the trial’s outcome.
In a message posted from Verdecia’s account, Villavicencio stated, “In Cuba, it is worse to think differently than to kill a person.” She accused the regime of treating her husband like a violent criminal simply for advocating for freedom and basic living standards.
Cuban prison officials have reportedly restricted Verdecia’s communication by revoking his phone privileges and allowing only monitored calls. Villavicencio believes this is to prevent him from reporting on conditions inside the prison, which she described as plagued by malnutrition and abuse. She noted that numerous political prisoners have remained in custody for over a year without trial.
Verdecia’s wife is now seeking help to obtain a copy of the Cuban Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Act to assist in his legal defense. “It is good to be prepared to refute all their lies and nonsense,” she wrote on social media, calling for justice and freedom for all political prisoners.
This marks the sixth time Verdecia has been sanctioned for political reasons. In 2014, he was fired from a state-owned rice company for being part of “Priests for Change,” a Christian group that opposes government control over religious institutions. His ongoing persecution underscores the Cuban regime’s intolerance for dissent and religious freedom.
