Nelson Molinet Espino, a former Cuban political prisoner and member of the Group of 75, was found dead in a vehicle in Hallandale, Florida on Friday, August 11, 2023, according to reports from Cuban exile organizations and news outlets. Molinet, 59, had been reported missing earlier in the week after leaving his home in Sweetwater, Miami-Dade County.
Molinet was arrested in 2003 as part of a crackdown on dissent known as the “Black Spring,” and sentenced to 20 years in prison under Cuba’s Act No. 88, which criminalizes acts against the independence and economy of Cuba. He was a prominent figure in Cuba’s democratic labor movement, having served as president of the Confederation of Democratic Workers of Cuba and a promoter of the Varela Project, an initiative advocating for greater political freedoms on the island.
Following years of imprisonment, Molinet was among 52 members of the Group of 75 who were released and exiled to Spain in 2010 as part of a negotiated agreement between the Cuban government, the Catholic Church, and Spain. He later relocated to the United States, settling in Miami approximately ten years ago.
In the days leading up to his disappearance, Molinet’s daughter, Karen Molinet, reported that he had been experiencing post-traumatic stress and memory loss, conditions she attributed to the harsh treatment he endured while incarcerated. “My father was unjustly imprisoned for seven and a half years,” she told America TeVé, a Miami-based television station. “Over the years, he began to suffer from post-traumatic disorders and memory loss.”
Ramón Saúl Sánchez, a Cuban activist, confirmed Molinet’s death on social media, expressing condolences to his family and fellow members of the Group of 75. Normando Hernández, director general of the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press, and a friend of Molinet, stated that the body was discovered in Hallandale but provided no further details regarding the cause of death.
The Institute Cubano por la Libertad de Expresión y Prensa (ICLEP) had previously reported that Molinet suffered from serious mental health issues stemming from “the cruel treatment he suffered in prison” at the hands of the Cuban regime. During his imprisonment at Kilo 5 ½ and Kilo 8 prisons in Pinar del Río province, Molinet detailed harsh conditions, including denial of medication, food, and basic necessities, in a letter smuggled out of prison. He described a cell lacking running water and adequate sanitation.
As of February 28, 2026, Cuban officials have exhibited an arsenal allegedly seized following a purported assault originating from Florida, and have pointed to a former political prisoner as the mastermind behind the attack, according to reports from El Nuevo Herald.
