Dissidents like José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro face arbitrary re-arrests. The U.S. Embassy, led by Mike Hammer, challenges the regime by demanding freedom.
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The situation in Cuba surrounding dissidents José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro, alongside the role of the U.S. Embassy under Mike Hammer’s leadership, reveals a complex web of political repression, human rights violations, and international tensions. The Cuban regime’s actions and its handling of political prisoners continue to spark global outrage.
Recurring Repression
On April 29, 2025, Cuban authorities re-arrested José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro, just three months after their release in January 2025, facilitated by a Vatican-mediated agreement. According to the ‘Tribunal Supremo Popular de Cuba’ (Cuba’s People’s Supreme Court), both violated parole conditions by maintaining public contact with the U.S. Embassy and, in Ferrer’s case, refusing to attend court hearings, as reported by the Miami Herald on social media. These arrests occurred days after Pope Francis’s death, a key figure in their initial release, suggesting a setback in diplomatic efforts.
Ferrer was detained at his home in the Altamira neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba, alongside his wife, Nelva Ortega, and their five-year-old son. Navarro was arrested in Matanzas, surrounded by State Security agents. Reports indicate these actions stem from their denunciations of the humanitarian crisis and advocacy for other political prisoners.
Who Are Ferrer and Navarro?
José Daniel Ferrer: Born in 1970 in Santiago de Cuba, Ferrer leads the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), founded in 2011 to promote democratic reforms. His activism includes the 2003 Varela Project, which led to a 25-year sentence during the Black Spring. Released in 2011, he faced further arrests in 2019 and 2021, marked by torture allegations and European Parliament resolutions in his favor. After over three years imprisoned for the 2021 protests, he was freed in January 2025 but re-arrested for rejecting parole conditions. His activism, including hunger strikes, reflects peaceful resistance amid constant retaliation.
Félix Navarro: Born around 1955 in Perico, Matanzas, Navarro, a former teacher and activist, leads the “Pedro Luis Boitel” Democracy Party. Arrested in 2003 during the Black Spring, he received a 50-year sentence but was released in 2011. Re-arrested in 2021 after protests, he was freed in January 2025 due to health issues and diabetes, with five years remaining on a nine-year sentence. His daughter, Sayli Navarro, remains imprisoned, highlighting familial persecution. A Catholic and member of the Ladies in White, Navarro was detained while attending Mass, underscoring the regime’s arbitrariness.
José Daniel Ferrer y Félix Navarro
Other Dissidents and Political Prisoners in Cuba
Repression extends beyond Ferrer and Navarro. Sayli Navarro, Félix’s daughter, has been detained since 2021 for her role in ‘Damas de Blanco’ (Ladies in White) activism, serving an eight-year sentence in poor conditions that have harmed her health. Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, leader of the San Isidro Movement, arrested after the 2021 protests, serves a five-year sentence with reports of isolation and denial of medical care, recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. Rapper and activist Maykel Osorbo faces up to seven years for songs criticizing the government, reflecting the persecution of artistic expression. With over 1,000 reported political prisoners, these cases illustrate a pattern of arbitrary detentions and rigged trials to silence dissent.
The Role of the U.S. Embassy and Mike Hammer
Mike Hammer, a 35-year career diplomat, became head of the U.S. Embassy in Havana in November 2024, succeeding Benjamin G. Ziff. With experience in Chile (ambassador, 2014–2016) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (2018–2022), Hammer has held roles like National Security Council spokesperson (2009–2011) and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. Raised in Hispanic America (Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela), he speaks fluent Spanish, aiding his engagement with Cuban society. His arrival coincides with heightened tensions, driven by stricter policies against the Cuban regime under President Donald Trump's administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Mike Hammer’s visit to José Daniel Ferrer
Since arriving, Hammer has prioritized supporting dissidents and promoting human rights. In February 2025, he visited Ferrer at UNPACU’s headquarters in Santiago de Cuba, discussing Cuba’s situation and the need for international solidarity. He also met Navarro in Matanzas and other activists, like Amelia Calzadilla, known for denouncing the island’s socioeconomic crisis. These meetings, part of U.S. diplomatic efforts, have been cited by the Cuban regime as parole violations or potential crimes. State media, like ‘Razones de Cuba’ (Reasons of Cuba), accused Hammer of pushing an “anti-Cuban agenda” and destabilizing the country by supporting the opposition.
Hammer remains active, expressing solidarity with political prisoners and their families. After Ferrer’s January 2025 release, he celebrated on social media, expressing a desire to meet him and urging the release of others. He has faced regime criticism for meeting figures like Czech Ambassador Petr Kavan, accused of supporting pro-democracy activists. Despite pressures, Hammer continues advocating for a “freer and more democratic” Cuba, following his predecessor’s approach, while navigating restrictions and accusations of funding the opposition.
A Pattern of Repression
Under Miguel Díaz-Canel’s leadership, the Cuban regime has intensified repression, using the judiciary to silence opponents. The re-arrest of Ferrer and Navarro, after a negotiated release, shows a lack of commitment to international agreements and human rights. Allegations of parole violations, particularly for U.S. Embassy ties, are used to justify arbitrary detentions.
Over 1,000 political prisoners face inhumane conditions, denial of medical care, and manipulated trials, per estimates. These tactics, alongside the persecution of families—like Sayli Navarro’s detention—and accusations against the U.S. for funding dissidents, perpetuate a cycle of control and fear, escalating bilateral tensions.
Cuba’s Largest Anti-Government Protests in Recent Years and Their Impact
The protests of July 11, 2021, marked a historic milestone as Cuba’s largest anti-government demonstrations in over six decades. Sparked by severe shortages of food and medicine, prolonged power outages, and the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating impact, protests spread across over 40 Cuban cities, with thousands demanding “freedom” and an end to the regime. The government’s response was mass repression, with over 1,500 arrests, including Ferrer, Navarro, and Otero Alcántara, who faced sentences of up to nine years in trials criticized for their opacity and lack of due process, per Amnesty International. The protests gained global attention, with extensive international coverage highlighting their scale and the state’s brutal response. Solidarity protests occurred in over 30 cities worldwide, including Miami, Madrid, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City, where the Cuban diaspora and activists demanded democratic change and human rights.
11J Protest in Austin, Texas
The 11J protests exposed Cuba’s deep socioeconomic and political crisis, intensifying the systematic persecution of activists and fostering a climate of fear that persists, as evidenced by 2025 re-arrests. This repressive pattern continued in later protests, like those in 2022 in Nuevitas, Camagüey, and 2024 in Santiago de Cuba, driven by worsening economic crises and lack of freedoms. The regime used summary trials, imposing sentences of up to 20 years for vague charges like “public disorder” or “sedition,” practices condemned by human rights organizations. While 11J was the peak of popular resistance, subsequent protests reflect growing discontent that the regime has suppressed with force, perpetuating a cycle of repression that has failed to quell demands for change.
11J Protest in Austin, Texas
Why Cuba Matters
Cuba’s situation transcends its borders, impacting human rights, regional stability, and U.S. relations. The repression of figures like Ferrer, Navarro, and other dissidents reflects an authoritarian system requiring international scrutiny. The global community, alongside organizations like Amnesty International, must sustain pressure to free political prisoners and ensure fundamental freedoms.
The U.S. Embassy’s work under Mike Hammer underscores diplomacy’s role in defending human rights, though it faces limitations in a hostile environment. International attention is crucial to highlight these injustices, especially against a regime that has historically ignored external agreements. The recent re-arrests emphasize the urgency of sustained action to support those risking everything for a democratic future in Cuba.
