Telling the truth—especially after imbibing one too many—is a sure way to end up in a Cuban jail. That’s exactly what happened to Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos, known by the nickname Panfilo, after he drunkenly burst into a documentary filming and began ranting about Cubans going hungry.
Today, a Cuban appeals court upheld the two-year prison sentence Gonzalez Marcos received for “public dangerousness,” rejecting his plea for leniency.
When he interrupted the documentary on Cuban music, he began yelling in Spanish, “"What we need here is a little bit of chow!" According to Associated Press reporting, He continued for more than 90 seconds, imploring the camera about how Cubans are going hungry in a country where the communist system is supposed to provide for all citizens' basic needs.
The documentary film crew caught his rant on tape, and it was posted on YouTube in April:
Gonzalez Marcos later posted a second video in which he regrets that his outburst was used for political purposes:
There were Western diplomats at the hearing, but their presence was not welcome.
“Two Western diplomats who tried to observe the proceedings said they were asked to leave before they began. The diplomats, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition they not be named due to their governments' rules, said court authorities told them the proceeding was open only to the Cuban public.”
The Cuban government did not respond to requests for comment on Gonzalez Marcos' case.
Telling the truth—especially after imbibing one too many—is a sure way to end up in a Cuban jail. That’s exactly what happened to Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos, known by the nickname Panfilo, after he drunkenly burst into a documentary filming and began ranting about Cubans going hungry.