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Martí Noticias: political prisoner Francisco Rangel has his sentence extended by six months
July 11 prisoner Francisco Rangel Manzano, who had been notified by the prison that he would be released on November 1, will serve six more months over an alleged calculation error in prison records, according to his son's account to Martí Noticias.
Rangel Manzano was sentenced to six years in prison for “public disorder” over his participation in the protests of July 11, 2021 in the municipality of Colón, Matanzas province. According to his son, Hermes Yenni Rangel Naranjo, prison officials confirmed to him on Sunday, November 1, that he would go free: “The educator explains to him that he was already free,” he told Martí Noticias, in remarks translated by Yamacoa.
Days later the decision was reversed. According to the same account, a superior blamed the mistake on a calculation error in the digital files, which he linked to the blackouts (“because of the constant blackouts, the system is not updated”), and on two earlier disciplinary punishments recorded in his file. The prisoner had previously been given an early release date in March 2026, which was postponed when he lost prison benefits.
His family and human rights organisations have warned about his health: he has high-risk heart disease and severe hypertension, which have caused medical emergencies inside the prison, according to Martí Noticias.
Sources: Martí Noticias
Data updated: 2026-11-04T16:15:00.000Z