The Cuban opposition leader Berta Soler, head of the Damas de Blanco movement, was arrested on January 1, 2026, while heading to the Mass for Peace at the Havana Cathedral, as reported by her husband and former political prisoner Ángel Moya Acosta.
According to the information published by Moya Acosta on Facebook, the arrest occurred around 2:40 in the afternoon, in broad daylight, at the corner of Porvenir Avenue and E Street, in Lawton, Diez de Octubre municipality.
The activist pointed out that the detention was carried out by paramilitary forces, under direct orders from State Security, while Soler was on his way to participate in the first mass of the year, a religious and peaceful activity.
"Paramilitaries arrest Berta Soler," wrote Moya Acosta while denouncing the incident, accompanied by an image that, as specified, corresponds to the arrest that took place today, January 1, 2026.
Berta Soler is one of the most prominent figures of the Cuban opposition and has been internationally recognized for her activism in defense of human rights. She is a recipient of the Lech Wałęsa Solidarity Prize, and the movement she leads, the Ladies in White, was awarded the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament.
The arrest occurs in a context of intense repression against activists, opposition figures, and religious or civic leaders, especially on symbolic dates, and reinforces the accusations from human rights organizations regarding the criminalization of the peaceful exercise of fundamental freedoms in Cuba, including religious freedom and freedom of movement.
Filed under: