Common law prisoner died in Holguín after 57 days of hunger strike

Hugo Ángel Riverón Aguilera, 59 years old, began a hunger strike at the Holguín Provincial Prison demanding that the Holguín Provincial Court make an adequate assessment of the crimes he was charged with. After 57 days, he died of starvation at the hospital's intensive care unit. Earlier, Hugo Ángel began the hunger strike several times in order to protest against the San Germán Police Unit, the Criminal Investigation Unit and the Holguín Provincial Prison. There, he was imprisoned after the trial where he was sentenced to 6 years in prison for theft and 9 months for injuries. His sister Rita Riverón Aguilera explained that a horse was stolen with a rustic carriage in the Las Magdalenas neighborhood and Hugo Ángel was charged with the theft. Rita added that firstly they charged his other sister, Emili Riverón, with the theft. After few days, the owners of the horse beat Hugo Ángel and caused him this way several injuries. "After a little more than a month, came sons of the owner and beat my brother with a machete. When I was about to bring him to the hospital, I got shot and fell back, I had to run with two twin girls (his granddaughters) until I could get to my daughter's house and then call my uncles to take him to the hospital", said Rita. In addition, she says that his brother was taken to the provincial hospital accompanied by a policeman, but on his return they left him detained in the gutters at the local police unit. Hugo Ángel's injuries were severe - machete injuries on his arms and head. When she asked the hospital several times by telephone, they said that his health state stayed the same. Later, when his daughter called the hospital again, Hugo Ángel had already died. Although, it is officially said the death was caused by a respiratory arrest, the coroner insisted on the cranial traumas presented by Hugo Ángel. According to Rita's testimony, the attackers were arrested the next day, "they just caught Orlando Rodríguez and 'Yuniel', not asking them to explain anything, and the next day they had released them."