Cuban Chess Grand Master Arrested in Protests Launches Hunger Strike ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images 21 Jul 2021 Arián González Pérez, a grandmaster ranked by the International Chess Federation, has been on a hunger strike for three days as of Wednesday following his imprisonment for participating in peaceful protests in Cuba on July 11. González, a Cuban who initially fled communism in his country and relocated to Spain, has been a vocal critic of the Castro regime for years. He is a Spanish citizen, but the Castro regime considers all persons born in Cuba – and ethnic Cubans abroad, regardless of them ever having been to Cuba – Cuban citizens only, meaning González will likely not have access to Spanish embassy services or protection. In addition to his status as a chess champion, González is an attorney and has used his position to advocate for freedom in Cuba. Reports indicate that he returned to Cuba this month, despite the threat presented by being in the country having criticized the regime in the past, to care for his mother, who is suffering from diabetes.