"It was very difficult": Diasniurka Salcedo shares how she managed to adopt two children in Cuba

The Cuban activist Diasniurka Salcedo, now residing in the United States, shared an emotional testimony on her social media about the process she went through to adopt two children in Cuba, a journey filled with legal, bureaucratic, and personal challenges.

In a video and a message addressing the question of many of his followers, Salcedo explained that although the journey was arduous, his love for his children gave him the strength not to give up.

A battle for love

"Yes, it was very difficult," Salcedo pointed out on Facebook.

The first step in the custody process involved the child's biological father moving into her home, a complex experience since it was a person she barely knew.

However, driven by the desire to take the children out of a children's home without parental care, she decided to confront it "with all the love in the world."

For years, she recounts, she had to deal with almost constant visits from representatives of Education, Public Health, and the Prosecutor's Office. "It was unbearable, but I endured it. Love conquers all!" she said.

Additionally, he had to face a legal trial to obtain custody, a process that was marred by harassment and delays.

One of the hardest moments, she confessed, was finding a lawyer willing to represent her, as many refused out of fear. "It took me months, but one did represent me, and I will always be grateful to him," she wrote.

The most difficult day: a trial

Amidst tears, Salcedo described what was, for her, the most impactful moment of the process: the day of the trial when, without prior notice, the authorities brought in the child's biological mother, who was imprisoned for child abuse.

"When the trial began, she was given the floor and said: 'Even though they have threatened me, I don’t care, I am in favor of Diasniurka because my children cannot have a better mother than her. Do whatever you want with me,'" she recounted.

That statement marked the end of the legal process: the judge immediately revoked parental rights and prohibited him from approaching the minors.

Salcedo, however, had a gesture that moved everyone present. He ran alongside the children to the vehicle where their biological mother was being taken and urged her to say goodbye to her children.

"She cried like a baby, knelt down, and asked for forgiveness in front of everyone," he recounted. "It's hard to understand, but judgment belongs to God," he clarified.

Current accusations and the defense by her family

This testimony comes amidst a complex situation faced by the activist in the United States, where she is being investigated for alleged child abuse accusations, which she considers to be part of a defamation campaign orchestrated by the Cuban State Security to silence her activism.

On the night of April 28, after receiving three anonymous calls, the police launched an investigation.

So far, no charges have been filed, and the custody of the minors remains with Salcedo and her husband. Both expressed their full willingness to cooperate with the authorities.

In another post, Diasniurka revealed that the process is underway with lawyers to determine who is behind the calls. For now, they only know that it was more than one person.

"The goal is to destroy my reputation so that I will stop doing what I do, denouncing and exposing the communist system!" he said.

"In my house, there are cameras everywhere, in both indoor and outdoor spaces, capturing daily life as a family, so come up with another excuse because those who have nothing to hide have no reason to fear," he emphasized.

The rescue of two lives

Salcedo adopted his children when they were just babies—the girl at three months old and the boy at fourteen—after learning about the abuses they suffered at the hands of relatives.

"I saved them. Alex, the boy, was burned with cigarettes, they put him in tanks. In Cuba, we took him to psychologists," she revealed in a previous post.

She left Cuba with her husband and their two children via Nicaragua in January of last year.

The Cuban government did not allow him to take two other children; in fact, one was sent back at the Havana airport itself. The children stayed in Cuba, under the care of their grandmother.

Fourteen months after arriving in Miami, and despite the new challenges she faces, the activist remains steadfast in her conviction: "My children are my life, and the truth will always prevail over evil."

With the support of her followers and her faith in justice, she promises to move forward and not stop until those responsible for this new smear campaign are identified and brought to justice.

Frequently asked questions about adoption and Diasniurka Salcedo's struggle