Whereas Silverio Portal Contreras is a 57-year-old, Afro-Cuban, social activist who has supported various movements in Cuba that advocate for freedom and democracy, including the Ladies in White; Whereas Mr. Portal Contreras was arrested in June of 2016 in Havana for participating in a public protest regarding the Cuban Government’s failure to repair dilapidated buildings that placed the public at risk for harm, and for shouting down with Fidel Castro, down with Raúl ; Whereas, in June of 2018, as a result of his participation in this protest, Mr. Portal Contreras was prosecuted by authorities for contempt , a charge that is frequently used to criminalize criticism of public officials in Cuba, and for public disorder ; Whereas, in July of 2018, Mr. Portal Contreras was sentenced to four years in prison after a closed-door trial; Whereas the health of Mr. Portal Contreras has rapidly and severely deteriorated since being imprisoned as a result of inadequate medical care, as well as instances of willful neglect and even intentional harm directed toward Mr. Portal Contreras by security officials; Whereas shortly after being imprisoned, Mr. Portal Contreras suffered a seizure that rendered him unconscious after having repeatedly requested medical attention that was denied for over four hours; Whereas as a result of poor medical attention and a failure of prison officials to address his needs, Mr. Portal Contreras’s life has been placed in danger while in prison and he has suffered several transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) that have caused paralysis on the left side of his body; Whereas Mr. Portal Contreras has been the subject of threats and physical attacks while in prison, including in May of 2020 when Mr. Portal Contreras was reportedly left blinded in one eye following an attack he suffered at the hands of security personnel