A young Cuban recounted his experience with a fugitive from Spanish justice who was sentenced for sexually abusing a minor and, in his flight, decided to settle in Havana.
The content creator Galej Rezz recounted on Instagram one of the episodes he describes as "the most horrific thing" he has experienced.
The man he thought was a professional photographer, who conducted a photoshoot for him, turned out to be Martiño Ramos Soto, a former Spanish professor and politician sentenced to over 13 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old student.
"My heart nearly wants to stop."
Galej explained that he contacted the man, whom he knew as "Martín Soto," because he had taken photos of a friend of his. They agreed to meet on September 19 in El Vedado for a "street, all in public" photo session through Instagram.
The individual told him that he was Spanish, that he was on vacation in Cuba, and that he still didn't know when he would return. After the session, Soto met up with a friend who, in Galej's opinion, "was quite young."
That same day, during a visit to the rental where he was staying to change clothes for a concert, the young man noticed that the man was already scheduled to meet "two other young friends who were quite youthful."
After the concert, they only kept in touch via WhatsApp, solely so that he could send her the pictures.
The surprise came when someone sent him a photograph of the man's true face alongside his real identity.
"Gentlemen, I tell you that my heart nearly stopped when I found out about this... you have no idea how unsettling it is that a person with whom you had contact, someone you even visited in their home, turned out to be a fugitive," he said.
The young man insisted that what troubled him the most during his interaction was "that she had so many young girlfriends."
He also urged caution to his followers: "Get to know the people you're going to meet beforehand, no matter the reason… you never know who is who."
A fugitive who lived as a photographer in Havana
The events described by Galej coincide with those that were reported earlier this week, when it was revealed that Martiño Ramos Soto, sentenced in Spain for sexually abusing a student since she was 12 years old, had been arrested in Havana.
According to the newspaper El Mundo, the man lived normally in the Cuban capital under the name Martín Soto for several months since last July.
He was involved in cultural events, wore expensive clothing, used professional cameras, and often invited young people—especially women—to artistic activities.
His downfall began when a Cuban living in Spain thought she recognized him at a party.
Later, someone from the Madres Protectoras de Madrid collective alerted an acquaintance of the fugitive about having seen his real name in some documents.
The decisive episode occurred when a young Cuban posted a photo on Instagram tagging him: comments began to emerge from Spain immediately, indicating that he was a convicted rapist.
The Cuban police were already watching him
Although the report on social media raised public alarms, the PNR had already located the fugitive for months.
Ramos, 50 years old, had fled from Spain through Portugal, Brazil, and Peru before arriving in Cuba, and the authorities were aware of his entry to the Island. They did not initially detain him, but kept him under observation.
The capture occurred on November 24, after he started preparing for another escape.
Since his arrival, he frequented El Vedado and offered free photographs to artists, musicians, models, and young creators.
People who interacted with him remember that he never spoke about his private life, constantly sought to integrate into groups, and had an attitude described as "childlike" or eager to be accepted.
He was one of the ten most wanted fugitives in Spain.
The Provincial Court of Ourense formally requested his extradition on October 31, after his whereabouts were confirmed in Havana.
The National Police of Spain requested that the Cuban authorities keep him under close surveillance while the extradition request is being processed.
Although there is no active extradition treaty between the two countries, diplomatic and police contacts have been maintained to facilitate the surrender.
The facts for which he was convicted
Martiño Ramos Soto was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison for repeatedly assaulting a 12-year-old student whom he manipulated and abused for years. The ruling emphasized the "cruelty and persistence" of the abuses, which were committed under an apparent relationship of trust and support.
The official Cuban media did not report on the complaint regarding this case, nor have they confirmed the arrest of this fugitive from justice in Havana.
Ramos was a member of En Marea, a former left-wing political formation in Galicia.
Her social media posts during her stay in Cuba show a tranquil life, detached from her past as a teacher and political activist in Galicia.
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