Top Takeaways:
- Habanos S.A. confirms some Cuban cigars are rolled by prisoners, but frames it as voluntary training for inmates.
- Prison Defenders alleges widespread forced labor across multiple facilities, involving up to 500 prisoners.
- Debate continues over whether the practice represents rehabilitation or human rights abuse, with major brands named in dispute.
It may not be a bad thing if prisoners are treated well and given the chance to learn a valuable trade. That was the message Habanos S.A. tried to convey as it confirmed, for the first time, that some Cuban cigars are being rolled inside prisons.
The confirmation, first reported by Charlie Minato of Halfwheel, followed the release of a report by Madrid-based human rights group Prison Defenders, which alleged that up to 500 Cuban inmates are being used to produce cigars at facilities across the island, including Quivicán, Artemisa, El Yayal, Bayamo, Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Villa Clara.
The report claimed prisoners were working 14-hour days, six days a week, earning as little as 3,000 pesos per month while being forced to roll 50–130 cigars daily. No verified validation of the claims was provided.
Prison Defenders further alleged that prestigious export brands such as Cohiba were among those affected, alongside what it called a “mareva” brand.
Minato noted inconsistencies in that claim: “Mareva” refers to a vitola size rather than an export brand, while Cohiba production is typically associated with the El Laguito factory. It is also common practice in cigar factories not to disclose specific brand assignments to rollers.
In response to Halfwheel’s inquiries, Habanos S.A., which distributes Cuban cigars worldwide but is not directly responsible for production, issued a written statement. The company said the program’s “main objective is to provide professional training to this group of inmates, enabling their future integration into the workforce.”
The production of Cuban cigars is handled by the state-owned Tabacuba and not Habanos S.A., which is only half-owned by the Cuban government. Tabacuba has also been struggling to hire rollers, as many have moved to countries such as Nicaragua and Honduras in search of better pay. Tabacuba representatives have previously told Nicotine Insider that it could take years to train a master roller.
According to Habanos, participation is voluntary and accompanied by “incentives and prison benefits.” The company insisted production in prison facilities is “symbolic” and subject to the same quality control standards as factories, describing the initiative as a form of artisanal training in a sector where Cuba remains a “global benchmark.”
That directly contradicts Prison Defenders’ core allegation of forced labor. The NGO maintains that the labor is coercive and alleges abuses, including beatings of inmates caught with loose tobacco. The group estimates as many as 60,000 Cubans across industries are engaged in forced prison labor, with cigars being only one example.
Why Habanos chose to confirm the report remains unclear. Prison Defenders says it has submitted its findings to the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Cuba retains a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council.
For the cigar industry, the revelations highlight complex questions. On one hand, training programs can help inmates reintegrate by learning a craft Cuba is world-renowned for. On the other, if the allegations of coercion are true, the reputational risk for Tabacuba and Habanos—and by extension Cuba’s $500-million-plus annual premium cigar exports—is significant.
The debate now shifts to transparency. Prison Defenders is pressing international bodies to investigate, while Habanos and Tabacuba maintain the programs are educational, not exploitative.
