The Cubalex Monitoring team recorded, between June 1 and 26, 27 events involving arbitrary arrests that occurred in the context of protests and citizen demonstrations in different locations in Cuba, a reflection of the repressive pattern that the State continues to apply in the face of social discontent.
As a result of these incidents, Cubalex has managed to confirm the identity of at least 38 people detained, including six minors. However, this figure constitutes a underreporting, since there are reports of other arrests whose identity or legal status could not be verified due to information restrictions imposed by the authorities.
The documented cases include people who were released a few hours or days after their arrest, others who remain deprived of their liberty, and cases in which it has not yet been possible to confirm their current situation.
The documentation work has also been affected by internet service outages, As happened on June 10 during the demonstrations in Santo Suárez. Similarly, at the beginning of the month, residents of La Güinera, in Arroyo Naranjo, reported that the area remained under a heavy military presence, with drone surveillance at night and prolonged internet outages.
Santa Amalia: one of the most violent repressive responses
One of the most serious documented cases occurred on June 2, following a protest in the neighborhood of Saint Amalia, in Arroyo Naranjo.
During the repressive operation, the former political prisoner was arrested. Yunaykis Linares, who, according to information gathered by Cubalex, was beaten by plainclothes agents along with her mother, in the presence of several minors.
The attack occurred when special forces were attempting to arrest the teenager Kevin de Jesús Gamboa. Yunaykis intervened to prevent the arrest and was violently beaten. Her stepfather was also assaulted when he tried to defend her and was later arrested.
Cubalex received reports that More than ten people were arrested in Santa Amalia and La Palma during that operation.
The most recent information available indicates that Kevin de Jesús Gamboa was subsequently released from prison, while Luis Alberto Reyes López, Yunaykis' stepfather, He remains incarcerated in Valle Grande prison and she continues to be detained in El Guatao prison.
Barbosa: repression with riot police
Another protest that resulted in a large-scale repressive operation occurred on June 19 in Barbosa, Playa municipality, Havana, where authorities deployed riot police to disperse the demonstration.
Among those whose arrest could be confirmed are the brothers Yoan Arévalo y Yosvan Arévalo, one of them with severe blows Following the arrest, others were also detained. Dayron Chamizo y Héctor Ramón Aroche Oliveros. They would still be detained in the Fifth Police Unit of that municipality.
Cubalex also received reports about other people detained there, whose identity has not yet been confirmed.
Boatswain: arrests after the Maffo Museum fire
He June 21, after the fire of the Orlando Pantoja Tamayo Memorial House, In the municipality of Contramaestre, popularly known as the Maffo Museum, another large-scale repressive operation took place.
So far, Cubalex has received informationn regarding the arrest of at least ten people, among them five minors, However, the verification process continues due to the limited information available and the lack of transparency from the authorities.
Days earlier, the June 19, Also in Contramaestre, the dentist was arrested Wilber Alvarez, In a case related to posters that appeared in the town, he was released on June 22, but remains awaiting trial.
Other cases
Among the incidents recorded during June were also the arrests of the mothers Yohana Hardy, Leanis Suárez y Jennifer Castañeda, arrested on June 19 after participating in a protest in the Casablanca neighborhood of Regla. Although they were later released, during their detention they were threatened with imprisonment and their families did not receive clear information about their situation.
Cubalex also documented the arrest of the teenager Cristian Fernández Sarmiento, 16 years old, allegedly arrested on June 21 for participating in a protest in the Altamira neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba. The organization continues to verify information about his place of detention.
He June 22 The arrests of the young people were also reported. Inaudis Maturell Castellano y Leroy Guerrero, 19 years old, in connection with protests that occurred in Santiago de Cuba.
Difficulties in documenting the repression
Cubalex warns that the available figures They do not reflect all the arrests that occurred during June. Restrictions on internet access, the militarization of communities, the fear of family members and witnesses to report, and the lack of official information continue to hinder the complete documentation of state repression.
The organization maintains active monitoring to verify new complaints and update information on detainees, their legal status, and human rights violations committed during these operations.