Cuban regime narrows the siege against the Ruiz Urquiola family

The Cuban regime strengthens its trap against a Cuban family: the Ministry of Agriculture ((Minagri) has declared extinct the usufruct granted to the scientist and environmentalist Ariel Ruiz Urquiola, while the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Foreigners prevents its entry into the country.

“The usufruct contract in Cuba is absolutely non -transferable. The head of that usufruct is Ariel Ruiz Urquiola, ”his sister Omara, a art historian who lives in Spain, told Martí News.

“When Ariel traveled (to Europe) in 2020, despite the fact that state security tried to prevent it, we managed to make a notarial power in my favor on the house that is owned by Ariel, who legally paid it, bought in Viñales and about the major cattle. Any action on these animals has to be, only and exclusively, authorized by Ariel or me, if Ariel is not, ”he said.

A chain of attacks by the local authorities against the brothers had its most recent episode in a “forced purchase” of a cow and a donkey of the El Hellio estate, located in the Antonio Maceo cooperative of the Popular Council of Cuajaní, in the Pinarño municipality Viñales.

“The forced sale, which is what they have argued as a mechanism, is absolutely illegal. He is violating Cuban law, is going over our rights and is an outrage. Not even my mother, if I wanted to sell the animals, give them away, you can’t, ”said Omara.

“My mother has the right to take care of them, she has the right to be in her son’s house, but if my mother decided to sell the house, she can’t do it either. The only one that can do repair, large, constructive actions, changes on the house is me, in the absence of Ariel, but I am not empowered to sell it. ”

To illustrate what happened, Ruiz Urquiola posted his mother’s narration on his Facebook page, Isabel Urquiola, 77 years old, who has been in charge of the land of 13.4 hectares:

According to the story, the officials presented themselves at the farm last Friday to «comply with what was agreed in the visit» of November 11, 2024, the day the mother was informed of the extinction of the usufruct granted to her son Ariel .

Martí News was able to talk to the municipal delegate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Jorge Miguel Martínez who, knowing the case we asked him, explained:

“The usufruct expires for several reasons, one of them is when the contract is expired from the term that occurred. That case, that farm was the usufruct with a contract for five years. ”

“When the usufruct is overcome, if it is not of interest to the company to ask for the responsibility of administering the land, it is not reactivated. The usufructuary is not given another possibility of making a new contract. ”

In the November visit, the head of the Livestock Registry, Juan Carlos Fleitas, told Isabel Urquiola that the animals acquired by her son Ariel were under her custody and that she had to look for who to sell or give away the animals. Not doing so, they would lead a «forced sale.»

Together with Fleitas, Bty González, Buyer Pedro Arteaga Hernández and Los Monteros José Luis Hernández Romero and Manuel Álvarez were presented at the Ruiz Urquiola.

“They took two animals, why? Because already, when closing the usufruct it is not possible to have animals because it has no land. They did not take them away, it was a purchase. It is stipulated: the owner of the animals is made forced, ”said Martínez.

He added that another of the reasons for the extinction of the usufruct to Ruiz Urquiola is the one that indicates that the beneficiary does not work the farm «and has to work it. If you have a farm, you have to work it and provide the result of the work of the farm. He is not in the country. ”

In this regard, he considered Omara Ruiz Urquiola: «The livestock record, the forestry company, are only coercion instruments against the peasant abandoned or semi -utilized lands and vaquerías where animals are tortured until they die of hunger, physical abuse and diseases. «

«In Pinar del Río the relationship of the peasantry with the authorities of the Minagri is historically tense. The body has been in charge of folling the peasants to favor Cubatabaco, for example. They force to sow tobacco but do not comply with supplies supplies for the inputs for the inputs for Crops and cure houses, then «buy» the harvest, no matter how little to export it for millionaire figures, «the activist denounced.

Ariel Ruiz Urquiola, just like his sister Omara, does not let him return to his country, «they did not even allow him to renew his passport.»

Asked about this particular, in which the usufructuary has a prohibition of entry to the country, the official said: «I don’t have to do with that, but otherwise, nothing is being violated.»

Omara recalled that she has tried to return to her country four times, even having a current Cuban passport.

“My family went to immigration and foreign offices, even national. I do not appear in the system, they do not know why it is, but that is from above and that I have limitation of entry to the country, ”lamented the academic and activist.