The young Cuban historian Alexander Hall Lujardo, 26 years old, publicly denounced a pattern of "harassment, political persecution, and arbitrary exercise of rights" by State Security, which has restricted his ability to leave the country since 2023 and, according to him, is trying to force him to make self-incriminating statements in order to regain his freedom of movement.
Hall, a graduate in History from the University of Havana and coordinator of the book “Cuba 11J: Counter-hegemonic Perspectives on Social Protests”, stated that his migration regulation was implemented one day after the release of the volume, which critically analyzes the social upheaval of July 11, 2021.
"What is happening to me is nothing more than an illegal practice disguised as an administrative procedure," he explained, noting that the regulation acts as "a terminological subterfuge" to prevent free movement without a court order or clear legal basis.
The historian presented a chronology of episodes that he claims confirm the political nature of the process:
- In November 2023, he suffered an attempted assault with a bladed weapon during a police operation, following an arbitrary detention during the trial of essayist Alina Bárbara López Hernández.
- In September 2024, he was summoned to Villa Marista as a “witness,” where he was informed that his regulation was due to an alleged criminal process against the independent media El Toque, with which he has collaborated intellectually.
- In November 2025, despite having been accepted since August as a graduate student at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Quito, the authorities confirmed that they would only lift the travel ban if he agreed to a series of “extortionate and humiliating” actions, including a public self-incrimination and the payment of money and technological support.
"They demand that I humiliate myself to return my freedom," reported the young researcher, who refused to comply with those conditions.
"Constitutional and international rights are being violated."
Hall argues that his case violates multiple articles of the Cuban Constitution related to freedom of thought, freedom of expression, the right to education, mobility, and personal integrity.
It also cited international standards such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantee the right to leave one's own country, personal freedom, and protection against arbitrary interference.
“If the authorities insist on preventing my departure, my commitment to republican, democratic-socialist, humanist, and national ideas is unwavering,” he stated.
Hall announced that he will file a constitutional appeal before the Cuban courts and called on academic institutions in the region to pay attention to his case.
Academic Alina Bárbara López Hernández, one of the most recognized critical voices on the island and co-chair of the Cuba section of LASA, expressed her support for the young historian's complaint and described the situation as "brave and well-founded."
"I reject the violation of their right to travel and study abroad, as well as the harassment against their freedom of expression," he stated.
It also warned about the modus operandi of Counterintelligence, which, as stated, employs "mafiatic extortion strategies without leaving written evidence," a mechanism that facilitates internal corruption and leaves the citizen completely defenseless against abuse.
In closing his complaint, Hall issued a warning to academics, diplomats, and regional organizations about the risks he faces. “What is at stake is not just my right to leave the country; it is my safety as a citizen and my ability to develop my professional life,” he said.
"As long as I remain in Cuba, he assures, he will continue to defend his ideas and publish in alternative media, academic journals, and public forums, 'with the conviction that freedom of thought is non-negotiable.'"
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