“Don’t lose heart, God is fighting this battle for us.”

By Ivette Pacheco

Angelica Garrido Rodriguez and her sister Maria Cristina.

(Martí Noticias) - Political prisoner Angélica Garrido said this Tuesday from the Women of the West prison, in Guatao, Havana, that she feels proud of the struggle that has fallen to both her and her sister María Cristina Garrido.

"I give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, because He has strengthened us spiritually in this sad and difficult struggle we have had to endure, but we are proud of it," the activist stated in a phone call to Radio Martí. Angélica Garrido also thanked Radio Televisión Martí and all the media outlets that have given visibility to the situation she and her sister have faced in prison. She also thanked the Republican Party of Cuba, her family, and all those who have supported their cause.

"I also want to thank my husband, because he never tires of this fight. He continues to fight for us, because of the love he has for us," she said.

The political prisoner, who has been held for more than 60 days in a punishment cell known as "the hole" in the Guatao women's prison, said in a message to the families of Cuban political prisoners: "Don't lose heart, God is fighting this battle for us."

"A message of strength to all the families. Everyone's pain is also our pain. We suffer not only from what is happening to us, but also from the pain of others. That is why we are here, and we feel very proud, not only of what we did, but of what you are doing. Thank you for your courage," she expressed. The Garrido sisters received a family visit this Monday. Luis Rodríguez Pérez, Angélica's husband, told Radio Martí that during the visit they were both able to see their children and that, according to what they told him, both have been experiencing health problems.

"Angélica had inflammation in her lung, but she has already improved. María Cristina is the one experiencing very severe tachycardia. At first, they told her it was due to stress, and now, although she hasn't gone to the hospital, they've told her it's because of her thyroid," explained Rodríguez Pérez.

In a Facebook post, she recounted the details of the visit.

Sisters Angelica, 43, and Maria Cristina Garrido, 41, were sentenced to three and seven years of imprisonment respectively, for their participation in the popular protests that took place on July 11, 2021, in Quivicán, Mayabeque.

Despite the abuses she has experienced in prison, and the hard blow represented by the recent death of her mother, who suffered both her imprisonment and that of her sister Maria Cristina, Angélica told Radio Martí that both remain strong.