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Cuba: Prisoners exploited to produce cigars and charcoal for export
A recent report by the Madrid-based human rights organization Prisoners Defenders has revealed that thousands of prisoners in Cuba are being exploited to produce cigars and charcoal destined for export.
According to the investigation, at least 60,000 of Cuba’s 90,000 prisoners are involved in forced labor. The report focuses on seven prison-based production centers where inmates hand-roll cigars. These prisoners earn only 3,000 Cuban pesos (around $7 at informal exchange rates), far below the national average monthly salary of 6,000 pesos. By comparison, state-run Tabacuba employees can earn up to 25,000 pesos.
Cigar sales remain a critical sector for Cuba’s struggling economy, generating $827 million in 2024. The prison-based production, which reportedly began earlier that year, has been framed as a way to fill labor shortages caused by mass emigration and ongoing economic difficulties. Prisoners reportedly work up to ten hours a day under poor conditions and inadequate nutrition.
In addition to cigars, Cuban prisoners are employed in charcoal production, sugarcane harvesting, and other agricultural tasks. In 2023 alone, prison labor generated $61.8 million in charcoal exports, according to the report. The NGO collected data from 53 current prisoners and 110 additional interviews with former inmates and experts to assess the extent of forced labor in Cuban detention centers.
