At least five people have been arrested since last Sunday, when Cuban regime forces violently suppressed a citizen protest in the municipality of Guanabacoa, where residents took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the ongoing blackouts and lack of water.
The non-governmental organization Cubalex confirmed this Wednesday the arbitrary arrest of an entire family, which includes Hiromi Moliner, her husband —whose name was not revealed, but is known as “El Nene”— and their two older children, Donovan Fernando López and Deyanira López; as well as Sunamis Quintero García, the mother of two young children.
"Arbitrary detentions have been reported following the citizen protest on June 29 in the municipality of Guanabacoa, amidst growing discontent due to the severe deterioration of living conditions in Cuba. The regime responded with violence, suppressing the demonstration and arresting several local residents," the organization reported on its social media.
In the case of the mother, Hiromi Moliner, Cubalex warned that her detention is "especially alarming, as she presents a critical health condition: she underwent breast cancer surgery about a year ago and requires specialized medical attention." Moliner is also the mother of two minors, who are now under the care of relatives.
Cubalex added that, according to the information received, the four family members were initially taken to the PNR station in Alamar and later to Villa Marista, the central headquarters of State Security, where they remain uncommunicated.
The statement also alerted about the detention of Quintero García, a case that had been reported by activists and independent media. The young woman, mother of a five-year-old girl and a just one-year-old baby, “was violently arrested at the door of her home by three police officers, while she shouted ‘Freedom!’ and ‘Long live a free Cuba!’”.
“The authorities intend to charge her as the leader of the protest, despite the fact that she did not participate directly in the events, her mother, Moraima García, reported,” the text warned.
Cubalex warned “how the regime resorts to excessive force to suppress citizen protests and criminalizes those who exercise their right to peacefully demonstrate”, while demanding “the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained individuals and respect for their fundamental rights.”
Not only in Guanabacoa were protests reported in recent days. On the night of June 30, pot-banging took place in the municipality of La Lisa, as a popular reaction to the increase and extension of blackouts in the capital.
In mid-June, a graffiti appeared on the exterior wall of a medical clinic in the La Hata neighborhood, also in Guanabacoa, with the phrase: “Down with the dictatorship. Díaz-Canel singao”.
Meanwhile, last weekend, a new mural appeared on a wall in the Buenavista neighborhood, in Playa, with the message “Raúl singao. Down with the dictatorship,” adding to the growing wave of public expressions of rejection against the Cuban regime.
In the municipalities of San Antonio de los Baños and Caimito, in Artemisa, several posters have also appeared with messages against the communist regime, defying fear, surveillance, and repression.
Frequently asked questions about the protest in Guanabacoa and repression in Cuba
What motivated the protest in Guanabacoa?
The protest reported in Guanabacoa on June 29 was motivated by the constant blackouts and lack of water, which led residents to take to the streets in an act of discontent and frustration over the deteriorating living conditions in Cuba.
How many people were arrested during the protest in Guanabacoa?
At least five people have been detained since the start of the protest. The organization Cubalex confirmed that those detained include a whole family: Hiromi Moliner, her husband, and their two older children - Donovan Fernando and Deyanira López - as well as Sunamis Quintero García, who were arrested arbitrarily.
How did the Cuban regime respond to the protest in Guanabacoa?
The Cuban regime responded with violence and repression, deploying a heavy police operation that arrested several protesters and used force to contain citizen discontent.
Why is the arrest of Hiromi Moliner in Guanabacoa concerning?
The detention of Hiromi Moliner is alarming because she has a critical health condition, having undergone breast cancer surgery a year ago, and she requires specialized medical attention. Furthermore, she is the mother of two minors who are now under the care of relatives.
What other protests and demonstrations have been recorded in Cuba recently?
Recently, there have been protests involving pots and pans in La Lisa and graffiti in Guanabacoa and Playa, in Havana, as well as in San Antonio de los Baños and Caimito, in the province of Artemisa. These actions reflect the growing public discontent with the Cuban regime and the precarious living conditions on the island.
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