Photo: Cubalex Archive.
Since mobile data internet arrived in Cuba in 2018, Millions of citizens found in it a tool to express ideas and thoughts that had been denied to them in physical spaces since 1959. But this same space soon became a minefield.
The Cuban government, accustomed to silencing and harassing the independent press, He understood the power of social media and extended his repressive forces into this new digital arena. The main weapon for attacking freedom of expression remains the same: the law.
Today, a critical comment, a meme, or a live broadcast can lead to a prison sentence.
What laws are used to silence critical voices?
Digital repression in Cuba is based on regulations such as Decree-Law 370, he Decree-Law 35 on telecommunications and the Penal CodeThe current one. All of them criminalize vague concepts such as "information contrary to the social interest" or "propaganda against the constitutional order".
In practice, these are empty phrases that the State uses at will to punish criticism and dissent. The result is a climate of fear and intimidation: people wonder if it's worth risking their freedom for a simple post.
Who are Ana Ibis and Jarol and why were they convicted?
The case of Ana Ibis Trista Padilla, a 36-year-old woman from Las Tunas and wife of political prisoner Damián de Jesús Echavarría, and of Jarol Varona Agüero, They, also opposition members, are a chilling example of how in Cuba not only criticism on social media is punished, but also those who denounce abuses against imprisoned relatives or express their political dissent.
In September 2025, both were convicted in a retrial: Ana Ibis to 14 years in prison and Jarol to 13 years, following fabricated accusations of “propaganda against the constitutional order”and other acts against the security of the State.“ Their ”crime“? In Ana Ibis’s case, publishing and advising on social media how to disseminate a call for a peaceful march. In Jarol’s case, alleged connections with an exiled organization that were never proven and served as a pretext for imposing an exemplary punishment.
In the first trial, both had been acquitted due to lack of evidence: the prosecutor He could not prove that his actions had caused actual harm to the state or any individual. However, after an appeal, the case was reopened, and the Supreme Court found him guilty based solely on reports from State Security and testimony from its agents, without any material evidence or independent witnesses. This demonstrates how judges act under political orders and not with true independence.
Freedom of expression: what international standards say
Ana Ibis and Jarol should never have been prosecuted for expressing themselves on social media. Freedom of expression, according to the international standards, It can only be limited in very specific situations:
- If it actually causes real harm or immediate danger.
- If there is a very clear and legitimate reason to do so.
- If the sanction is the minimum necessary to prevent that damage.
The logic is simple: if there is no harm, there should be no punishment. In the case of Ana Ibis and Jarol Varona, none of this applied. No one proved that their words caused any real danger, nor that 14 and 13 years in prison were a necessary or reasonable measure.
The case of Ana Ibis also illustrates another practice that Cubalex has identified as punish the families of political prisoners. She was convicted not only for what she published, but also for being the wife of an imprisoned opposition figure, this tactic being used to send a fear message"If you report abuse against your family members, we will also punish you.".
What other people have suffered the same?
What happened to Ana Ibisy and Jarol Varona is not an exception. In the same trial, Félix Daniel Pérez Ruiz and Cristhian de Jesús Peña Aguilera were also sentenced to 5 and 4 years respectively. Their actions were as simple as posting a critical message on Facebook, sharing it, or discussing how to gain followers.
And they're not the only ones. Since at least 2021 42 people have been imprisoned in Cuba for social media posts, Many of these cases result in sentences of up to 15 years. The pattern repeats itself time and again: State Security fabricates accusations, the public prosecutor's office supports them, and the courts, subject to political orders, hand down long sentences as a warning. In this context, no one is safe if they decide to express their discontent online.
This is not unique to Cuba: there are examples in other countries
The behavior of the Cuban government is part of a global control strategy used by other authoritarian regimes.
During the Arab Spring, Young people who organized protests via Facebook were persecuted and imprisoned. Nepal, The government passed laws to punish with jail time the dissemination of false information on social media, a concept as imprecise as that of propaganda against the constitutional order in Cuba.
In addition to this, there are cases of China y Russia, These are paradigms of digital control and, moreover, allies of the Cuban regime. China has built one of the world's most sophisticated censorship systems, known as the Great Firewall, to block content and monitor its citizens online. Russia, for its part, has passed laws that allow it to shut down independent media outlets, block platforms, and imprison users for disseminating critical opinions online.
These examples show how what happens in Cuba is not isolated, but rather part of a shared strategy: to stifle citizen criticism, monitor the internet, and maintain control at all costs.
To speak is to resist
Ana Ibis's story reflects a risk that hangs over every Cuban: a simple Facebook comment can be treated as a threat to the state. Digital repression doesn't seek justice; it seeks silence.
Initially, decrees like 370 were used to impose fines and confiscations as economic punishments. Today, repression has scaling even turning social media posts into grounds for long prison sentences. But precisely for that reason, the voice of the people becomes the most powerful weapon we have: the more people denounce, share, and make visible what is happening, the harder it will be for those in power to continue hiding their abuses.
Silence only strengthens fear and fuels impunity. Speaking out, even if they try to punish you, opens paths to truth and justice. Active participation and solidarity are today the best way to resist.
Do you have a family member who has been sanctioned for posting on social media?
At Cubalex we document human rights violations in Cuba every day and record the abuses committed against those who dare to exercise their freedom of expression.
👉 If you have a family member who has been fined, administratively sanctioned, charged with a crime related to critical publications, harassed, or convicted in an unfair trial, please contact us.
We can advise you, accompany you in the process and, if necessary, take your complaint to international bodies to save you from silence.