Wilmar Villar Mendoza

Biography

He was arrested in July 2011 after his mother in law alerted neighbors and police about a marital dispute involving domestic violence and charged for assault, disrespecting authority and resisting arrest.

At some time between August and September 2011, he joined the Cuban Patriotic Union and worked on dissident activity. He participated in a public protest against the government. In November of the year he was sentenced to four years in prison. He was sent to Aguaderas prison in Santiago de Cuba.

His wife Maritza Pelegrino attributed her husband's political activism to anger over his father's death in custody five years earlier, though she could not explain why he joined the movement only last year.

Villar started a hunger strike soon after arriving at the prison. He was put in solitary confinement.

Representatives from the European Union and the governments of the United States and Spain made statements about his death, criticizing the Cuban government.

The government also stated he was not a dissident, but that he had been arrested for violence and injuring his wife at the 2011 protest. The government also stated he had not been on hunger strike.

References

Cuban dissident dies after hunger strike By the CNN Wire Staff, updated 12:41 PM EST, Fri January 20, 2012, CNN.com

Cuban dissident Wilmar Villar dies on hunger strike, 20 Jan 2012, The Telegraph (UK)

References

1. Associated Press. (20 January 2012). "Amnesty says Cuba dissident who died on hunger strike a prisoner of conscience, names 3 others". [[The Washington Post]].
2. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-dissident-death-idUSTRE80J0C020120120 Jailed Cuba dissident dies in hunger strike], Reuters, 2012 1 20
3. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/cuban-prisoners-widow-say-he-was-arrested-for-domestic-violence-blames-government-for-death/2012/01/30/gIQAAMEzcQ_story.html Cuban prisoner’s widow says he was arrested for domestic violence, blames government for death]{{dead link. (June 2021)
4. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16644899 Cuban hunger striker Wilmar Villar dies in jail], 20 January 2012, BBC
5. [http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/cuban-authorities-‘responsible-for-activist-s-death-on-hunger-strike Cuban authorities ‘responsible' for activist's death on hunger strike], Amnesty USA, 1 20 2012
6. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203750404577173290088319740?mod=googlenews_wsj Cuban Dissident Dies After Hunger Strike], 2012 1 21, José de Córdoba, Wall Street Journal
7. [http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/20/2600028/world-reacts-to-death-of-cuban.html World reacts to death of Cuban dissident Wilman Villar Mendoza], Juan Carlos Chavez, Miami Herald
8. [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuban-govt-lashes-out-at-criticism-of-alleged-dissident-death/ Cuban gov't lashes out at criticism of alleged dissident death], January 20, 2012, Portia Siegelbaum, CBS News
9. [https://archive.today/20130205223143/http://www.voanews.com/spanish/news/muere-huelga-hambre-disidente-villar-mendoza-137746503.html Obama lamenta muerte de cubano], Voz de América ([[Voice of America]]), 2012 1 20 (in Spanish)
10. [http://www.cadenagramonte.cu/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9135:cuba-strongly-condemns-manipulations-of-recent-death-of-convict&catid=2:cuba&Itemid=14 Cuba Strongly Condemns Manipulations of Recent Death of Convict], Radio Cadena Agramonte (Cuban government media), 21 January 2012