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An "administrative error" delays political prisoner Francisco Rangel's release by six months, groups say
Prison authorities in Matanzas halted the release of Francisco Rangel Manzano, a prisoner from the July 11 protests, on the day it was due, and told his family he must serve another six months because of an alleged error in calculating his sentence, according to Martí Noticias and the group Cubalex.
Prison authorities in Matanzas suspended the release of Francisco Rangel Manzano, a prisoner from the protests of July 11, 2021, and told his family he must spend another six months behind bars because of an alleged "administrative error." His release had been set for November 1 and the complaint was reported by Martí Noticias, according to Infobae.
His relatives went to the prison that day, after the facility had confirmed the release, and the authorities refused to let him out when they arrived. His son, Hermes Rangel Naranjo, said officials justified the decision with errors in the calculation of the sentence and claimed the files had not been updated digitally because of the blackouts. The family was also told that earlier disciplinary sanctions had cancelled sentence reductions.
The group Cubalex challenged those arguments and said the decision prolongs his detention after the authorities themselves had given a specific release date. According to the same report, his release had initially been set for March 2026 and was postponed when prison benefits were withdrawn.
Rangel Manzano is serving a six-year sentence for "public disorder" after taking part in the demonstrations in Colón, Matanzas. The Prisoners Defenders list records him as a political prisoner, detained on July 11, 2021, at the age of 59, held in Canaletas prison in Perico, Matanzas, with documented heart disease and hypertension.
Cubalex warned about his health: he has high-risk heart disease and hypertension and has suffered crises that required emergency care, and it demanded that the authorities guarantee his medical care and respect his physical integrity. The group linked the case to what it described as a pattern of administrative irregularities, disciplinary sanctions and withdrawal of benefits against political prisoners close to completing their sentences.
The family is waiting for an official explanation of the new calculation of the sentence and of the conditions in which he will remain detained. The Cuban authorities have not made public their account of what happened on November 1.
Sources: Infobae · Prisoners Defenders, lista de presos políticos · Serie Yamacoa: Presos políticos en Cuba (Prisoners Defenders)
Data updated: 2026-11-08T04:15:00.000Z