Camp 16 prisoner says he cannot collect pay for his work

Franyer Abad Dumet says he has not received money for the work he performs at Camp 16 in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana. He said he arrived at the facility on November 12, 2025, and has been unable to access compensation since then. His complaint concerns the obstacles to collecting payment, not a specific amount.

Abad Dumet explained that he was given a magnetic card when he entered but not the PIN needed to use it at an ATM. He also said he cannot request cash at a bank branch because, as a prisoner, he lacks an identity document. According to his account, the combination of both obstacles prevents him from accessing the payment.

Decree-Law 81/2023 establishes that people who work while incarcerated must receive compensation in Cuban pesos at least once a month. The rule assigns payment to prison authorities and provides for a worker to name a relative in the contract to collect on their behalf. Abad Dumet's complaint focuses on how payment can be made effective when the worker cannot personally access available channels.

Another prisoner at the same camp, Marcos de la Luz Caballero Granados, had reported working for more than five months without pay. He also said nearly all prisoners at the facility faced a similar situation. His statement expands the complaint beyond one case, although it does not provide a count of the people affected.

In September 2025, Prisoners Defenders estimated that 60,000 prisoners in Cuba were subjected to correctional labor. The report relied on accounts from 53 former prisoners and said none of those assigned a salary had received a pay stub. The data describe a broader context but do not determine how many people at Camp 16 are in the same situation.

Abad Dumet, 31, lived in La Güinera in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality and worked as a bicycle-taxi driver. According to his account, he was imprisoned after taking part in the July 12, 2021 protests there. He said he first spent seven days at 100 y Aldabó and was then taken to Combinado del Este. He said he was released on August 26 but detained again four days later when he went to collect his belongings. He returned to Combinado on September 7. He added that prosecutors sought a 20-year prison term in October and that he was tried in January 2022 with 15 other La Güinera residents.