Global Liberty Alliance
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      • Staff And Advisors >
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Arthur Freyre
        • Cara Di Silvio
        • Fr. Fernando Hería
        • Abbe Jolles
        • Dr. Tomaž Slivnik
        • Dr. Jane F. Adolphe
      • Board >
        • Terry T. Campo
        • Frank M. Mendez
        • Jason I. Poblete
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    • The Cadet Newspaper at VMI
    • Free Yorubas of Cuba, Regularly Attacked for Faith
    • Alina Lopez-Miyares, US Citizen Tried by Cuban Tribunal
    • Jamshid Sharmahd, ​Businessman and Broadcaster Kidnapped into Iran
    • Roberto Quiñones, Jailed for Journalism
    • José Daniel Ferrer and UNPACU Activists
    • Rigal-Expósito Family, Torn Apart for Homeschooling
    • Tejeda-Lescaille Family, Persecuted for Jewish Faith
    • The Whittaker Chambers Farm
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      • Apostolic Movement Of Cuba
      • Roberto Bendaña McEwan – INTERPOL Abuse by Nicaragua
      • Nizar Zakka – U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, Hostage in Iran
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American Teacher FROM FLORIDA ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE, TRIED BY A SECRET CUBAN MILITARY TRIBUNAL

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On October 2, 2017, Ms. Alina Lopez-Miyares, a U.S. citizen and schoolteacher, was convicted by a Cuban secret military court for alleged acts of espionage. She was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Ms. Lopez-Miyares maintains her innocence.

Ms. Lopez-Miyares is serving her sentence at the notorious Manto Negro women’s prison near Havana. Manto Negro holds persons convicted of violent crimes as well as political prisoners such as members of the civil society group Ladies in White.

In 2004, Manto Negro was one of several prisons in Cuba that were visited by United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) officials. The rare visit to Manto Negro and other prisons by international observers occurred the year after an island-wide crackdown on Cuban civil society leaders. According to a 2016 Human Rights Watch report, Cuba still “denies access to its prisons by independent human rights groups, which believe that additional political prisoners, whose cases they cannot document, remain locked up.”

Her 93-year-old mother used to travel from Miami to Cuba various times, a great sacrifice to this family of modest means. Ms. Lopez-Miyares’s family is incredibly concerned about how their daughter has been treated by Cuban authorities. Cuban officials have not been forthcoming to the family about the status of Ms. Lopez-Miyares’s difficult situation.  Alina's mom, also called Alina, passed away in late 2022. 

Ms. Lopez-Miyares is suffering from severe ailments, and is not receiving appropriate care.  The Global Liberty Alliance is concerned for her health and wellbeing.  As a U.S. citizen, Ms. Lopez-Miyares is entitled to consular visits by diplomatic staff posted at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Despite repeated requests, including from Global Liberty Alliance lawyers, the Cuban government has refused American diplomats access to Ms. Lopez-Miyares.

Global Liberty Alliance attorneys have requested to meet with Cuban diplomatic personnel at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. and have raised this case with U.S. authorities. Ms. Lopez-Miyares is listed as a wrongfully detained American on the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation website. 

Various non-governmental organizations estimate that there are thousands of persons unlawfully detained in Cuba in over 200 prison and work camps. These people are held for political or otherwise fabricated charges such as espionage. A totalitarian police state, according to the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance indicators, Cuba has one of the world’s weakest rule of law and legal systems. Freedom House’s 2017 report on human rights in Cuba outlines how the one-party Communist state has “total control over the courts and the judiciary.”


News & Media
  • NBC News - "Ailing mom of teacher who had been jailed in Cuba pleads for her return; Alina Lopez was conditionally released after being jailed in Cuba for 5 years on espionage charges, but has not been allowed to return to the US," (Sep. 2, 2022).
  • The Miami Herald - "Cuba quietly releases from prison a Cuban-American teacher convicted of espionage," (Aug. 31, 2022).
  • AméricaTevé - "Madre de cubanoamericana acusada de espionaje en Cuba pide a Biden que gestione su liberación," (Aug. 25, 2021).
  • Diario de Cuba - "La madre de la cubanoamericana presa en Cuba pide a Washington apoyo para la liberación de su hija," (Aug. 25, 2021).
  • CiberCuba - "Madre de Miami: 'Es una crueldad que mi hija siga presa en Cuba'" (May 10, 2021). 
  • The New  York Times -"Love or Spycraft: What Landed an American Teacher in a Cuban Prison?" (May 2, 2021) (Spanish version).
  • América Tevé -"The New York Time dedica artículo a maestra cubano americana presa en Cuba" (May 3, 2021).
  • CiberCuba - "Supremo pide aclaración en solicitud de libertad condicional para Alina López Miyares, presa por espionaje en Cuba" (Apr. 22, 2021).
  • CiberCuba - "Abogado de Alina López Miyares, condenada en Cuba por espionaje, pide indulto y libertad condicional" (Apr. 21, 2021). 
  • Diario de Cuba - "La madre de la cubanoamericana Alina López Miyares pide al Tribunal Supremo de Cuba su libertad condicional" (Apr. 17, 2021).
  • América Tevé - "Alianza por la Libertad Global emplaza a congresista Demócrata" (Apr. 14, 2021).
  • Periódico Cubano - "Cubanoamericana acusada de espionaje padece de riñones y no está atendida en prisión" (Mar. 27, 2021). 
  • ADN Cuba - "Madre de estadounidense presa en Cuba pide ayuda a Biden" (Mar. 26, 2021).
  • NBC News - "Family of Cuban American jailed in Cuba says her health is deteriorating" (Mar. 24, 2021).
  • Diario de Cuba - "La madre de una cubanoamericana presa en Cuba pide a Díaz-Canel que indulte a su hija" (Mar. 15, 2021).
  • Martí Noticias - "La liberación de Alina Lopez en Cuba, debe de ser una expectativa, si Cuba desea mejorar sus relaciones con EEUU, afirmo el abogado Jason Poblete de la Alianza Global para la [Libertad]" (Feb. 22, 2021).
  • Diario Las Américas - "Caso  de maestra de Miami encarcelada en Cuba continúa sin ser atendido" (Feb. 19, 2021).
  • Diario de Cuba - "EEUU advierte que no tolerará la detención arbitraria de sus ciudadanos y su uso como 'moneda de cambio'" (Feb. 16, 2021).
  • Diario de Cuba - "Cubanoamericana condenada en Cuba por espionaje pide a la Administración Biden que interceda por su liberación" (Feb. 12, 2021). 
  • Univisión 23 Miami - "Ciudadana de Estados Unidos lanza una súplica a Biden desde una cárcel de Cuba" (Feb. 11, 2021).
  • Periódico Cubano - "Pide ayuda a Biden una cubanoamericana apresada en la Isla por supuesto espionaje" (Feb. 11, 2021).
  • El Nuevo Herald - "Se repatrió a Cuba y el régimen la acusó de espía. Pide clemencia a Biden desde una prisión" (Feb. 10, 2021). 
  • CiberCuba - "Prisionera estadounidense envía desesperado mensaje a Biden desde Cuba: 'Ayúdeme a volver a casa" (Feb. 10, 2021).
  • ADN Cuba - "'Ayúdenme a volver a mi país': estadounidense apresada en Cuba suplica a Biden" (Feb. 9, 2021).
  • ADN Cuba - “Se deteriora estado de salud de estadounidense apresada en Cuba” (Dec. 10, 2020).
  • CiberCuba - "Made de Miami cumple 93 años con desesperado mensaje por su hija presa en Cuba" (Nov. 15, 2020). 
  • América Tevé 41 - "La respuesta a las acusaciones del portal oficialista Cubadebate" (Oct. 22, 2020).
  • América Tevé - Tiro al blanco. La columna de Miguel Cossío: "Randy sale de caza" (Oct. 21, 2020).
  • ADN Cuba - "Piden a congresista demócrata que se interese por ciudadana americana presa en Cuba" (Oct. 9, 2020).
  • América Tevé 41 - "Piden a Shalala que se interese por cubano-americana encarcelada en Cuba" (Oct. 9, 2020).
  • Diario Las Américas - "Cubanoamericana acusada de espionaje por Cuba sigue presa y sin garantías" (Jun. 23, 2020).
  • CubaNet - "Cubanoamericana acusada de espionaje por régimen sigue presa y sin garantías" (Jun. 23, 2020).
  • Radio Televisión Martí - "Cuba quiere usar caso de cubanoamericana condenada por espionaje como 'arma política'" (Jun. 22, 2020).
  • CiberCuba – "Madre de Miami reclama liberación de su hija presa en Cuba por espionaje" (Jun. 16, 2020).
  • Diario de Cuba – "Lawyers Request Reduced Sentences for Cubans Accused of Espionage by Cuba" (Apr. 20, 2020).
  • NBC News – “The family of Cuban American Jailed in Cuba For Espionage Pleads for U.S. Attorney, Consular Visits” (Sept. 7, 2018). 
  • The Miami Herald – “Miami Cuban American jailed in Havana on alleged espionage charges” (Oct. 25, 2017).
  • Pan American Post – “Cuban Military Court Sentences US Citizen to 13 Years in Prison for Alleged Espionage” (Oct 12, 2017).
  • Telemundo TV – "American Citizen Detained in Cuba" (Mar. 17, 2017). 
  • 2017 U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Cuba
GLA Advocacy​
  • Case Update - "94-Year-Old Mother of American UnlawfullyDetained in Cuba Pleads for Support from U.S. Politicians," (Aug. 17, 2021).
  • News Alert - "GLA Praises Reps. Deutch, Hill on Launching of the Congressional American Hostage Task Force," (Jun. 17, 2021).
  • News Alert -  "GLA Urges Congressmen Rush, Others to Support Alina López-Miyares, American Detained in Cuba," (Mar. 9, 2021). 
  • News Alert - "GLA Files Complaint with U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for Cuban-American Hostage Alina López," (Jan. 14, 2021).

2021.01.14 Alina Lopez WGAD... by Global Liberty Alliance

  • GLA Letter to U.S. Congresswoman Donna Shalala, Oct. 9, 2020.

2020-10-09 Alina Lopez Letter to Congresswoman Shalala by Global Liberty Alliance on Scribd

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Global Rule of Law & Liberty Legal Defense Fund (d/b/a The Global Liberty Alliance)
©2021 All rights reserved.
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • GLA Team >
      • Staff And Advisors >
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Arthur Freyre
        • Cara Di Silvio
        • Fr. Fernando Hería
        • Abbe Jolles
        • Dr. Tomaž Slivnik
        • Dr. Jane F. Adolphe
      • Board >
        • Terry T. Campo
        • Frank M. Mendez
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Dr. Stephen M. Thompson
    • Policies >
      • Anti-Slavery & Anti-Human Trafficking
      • Business Conduct & Ethics
  • Working Groups
    • Brazil >
      • Brazil Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Guatemala >
      • Guatemala Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Honduras >
      • Honduras Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Nicaragua
    • Uruguay >
      • Uruguay Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Western Sahara
  • Featured Case Work
    • The Cadet Newspaper at VMI
    • Free Yorubas of Cuba, Regularly Attacked for Faith
    • Alina Lopez-Miyares, US Citizen Tried by Cuban Tribunal
    • Jamshid Sharmahd, ​Businessman and Broadcaster Kidnapped into Iran
    • Roberto Quiñones, Jailed for Journalism
    • José Daniel Ferrer and UNPACU Activists
    • Rigal-Expósito Family, Torn Apart for Homeschooling
    • Tejeda-Lescaille Family, Persecuted for Jewish Faith
    • The Whittaker Chambers Farm
    • Past Cases >
      • Apostolic Movement Of Cuba
      • Roberto Bendaña McEwan – INTERPOL Abuse by Nicaragua
      • Nizar Zakka – U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, Hostage in Iran
  • News & Media
    • Global Voices for Liberty
    • GLA News
    • Media
  • Invest
  • Tips