More than a thousand people were arrested in the wake of the protests, with hundreds sentenced to heavy prison terms. He stared into space as his mother Gabriela sat by his side, lamenting that he ‘has turned into an old man’. It was late afternoon and there was no electricity — power cuts have become a depressingly familiar feature of life in Cuba. Antonio was just 17 when he was imprisoned in July 2021 for taking part in the largest anti-government protest since 1959. Cuba was plunged into deep economic depression by the health crisis and border closures — particularly since the tourists upon whom the country is so dependent were barred from entering.