Manuel Vázquez Portal

Manuel Vázquez Portal (born 1951 in Morón, Ciego de Ávila Province) is a Cuban poet, writer and journalist known for his 2003 imprisonment.

Background Vázquez Portal received a degree in philology from Villa Clara University.

Incarceration In March 2003, the Cuban government launched a general crackdown (later called the "Black Spring") on dissidents, including a number of journalists. Seventy-five people were ultimately arrested, including Vázquez Portal. On 4 April 2004, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for "endangering Cuba's independence" through his articles and his meetings with US officials. and Reporters Without Borders. Vázquez Portal was unable to attend the ceremony due to his imprisonment.

During his incarceration, Vázquez Portal kept a makeshift diary on sheets of blank paper brought by his family. In June 2003, his wife Huerga smuggled the diary from the prison and shared photocopies with the Associated Press. The diary told of poor conditions, including miserable food, constant mosquitoes and flies, and rat infestations in the cells. Huerga also helped found the Ladies in White, a protest group composed of the wives of imprisoned dissidents.