Luis Enrique Ferrer García
Encyclopedia
Luis Enrique Ferrer García is a Cuban dissident. He is married and has a daughter.
He was arrested during the Black Spring
in 2003 and received a 28-year sentence for his work with the Varela project
, a civic initiative calling for democratic reforms in Cuba.
Upon leaving the courtroom, a member of the mob struck Luis Enrique Ferrer García with a hammer
, and his mother and sister were violently thrown to the ground.
To protest his unjust imprisonment, especially severe prison conditions and mistreatment by prison authorities, Ferrer García has engaged in numerous hunger strike
s throughout his detention, often leaving him very ill and weak. He was the victim of numerous physical assaults by security guards and violent prisoners. According to Human Rights First
, attacks are believed to be encouraged by prison authorities to harass and intimidate him.
Ferrer Garcia was freed in November 2010.
He was arrested during the Black Spring
Black Spring (Cuba)
Black Spring refers to the 2003 crackdown on Cuban dissidents. The government imprisoned 75 dissidents, that included 29 journalists, as well as librarians, human rights activists, and democracy activists, on the basis that they were acting as agents of the United States by accepting aid from...
in 2003 and received a 28-year sentence for his work with the Varela project
Varela Project
The Varela Project is a project that was started in 1998 by Oswaldo Payá of the Christian Liberation Movement and named after Felix Varela, a Cuban religious leader...
, a civic initiative calling for democratic reforms in Cuba.
Upon leaving the courtroom, a member of the mob struck Luis Enrique Ferrer García with a hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
, and his mother and sister were violently thrown to the ground.
To protest his unjust imprisonment, especially severe prison conditions and mistreatment by prison authorities, Ferrer García has engaged in numerous hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
s throughout his detention, often leaving him very ill and weak. He was the victim of numerous physical assaults by security guards and violent prisoners. According to Human Rights First
Human Rights First
Human Rights First is a nonprofit, nonpartisan human rights organization based in New York City and Washington, D.C....
, attacks are believed to be encouraged by prison authorities to harass and intimidate him.
Ferrer Garcia was freed in November 2010.