Cuban activist Aymara Nieto arrives in Dominican Republic after eight years in prison

Santo Domingo.- Cuban activist and Lady in White member Aymara Nieto Muñoz arrived in the Dominican Republic on August 11 after spending over eight years in prison for political reasons and facing constant pressure from State Security to leave the island. A member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), Cuba Decide, and the Program for the Right to Liberty, she credited her family for securing the visa that allowed her to be freed and flown directly from prison to Santo Domingo.

Nieto Muñoz stated that authorities fabricated charges to force her departure, accusing her of leading a riot at the Mujeres de Occidente prison, a case she and human rights groups insist was invented. She was serving a five-year, four-month sentence for that alleged riot, after previously completing a four-year term in 2022 for “attack” and “damage to property.” Despite being eligible for parole since April, the court never responded to her request, and she was only released once she had a confirmed destination abroad.

Before leaving, she was held at the Villa Delicias correctional labor camp under a lighter prison regime but was kept in custody until the moment she was taken to the airport. Now in the Dominican Republic, Nieto Muñoz says she will continue to denounce repression against political prisoners and advocate for freedom in Cuba.