The independent journalist Henry Constantín was released this Friday in Havana after being detained without charges for 44 hours, in a police operation related to the funeral of the 32 Cuban soldiers who died in Venezuela.
Constantín, director of the independent outlet La Hora de Cuba and regional vice president for Cuba of the Press Freedom Commission of the Inter American Press Society (SIP), announced his release through a video posted on Facebook, recorded on the Havana Malecón.
In the message, he confirmed that he was under arrest for 44 hours without his whereabouts being communicated to family or colleagues.
"The 44 hours of unjustified arrest, kidnapping, and disappearance are over," asserted Constantín, who explained that his detention coincided with the wake of the 32 Cubans who died in Venezuela, in a context of high political tension and heavy security presence in the capital.
According to his account, his presence in Havana at that time was enough to make him a target for preventive detention.
During his confinement, the journalist was isolated and no one knew where he was until his release and return home.
He expressed gratitude for the coverage provided by the outlet during his absence and emphasized that La Hora de Cuba continued to operate normally, despite the detention of its director.
Constantín also thanked the journalist Alejandra, who, he explained, identified his disappearance and led the coverage of the case from Havana.
In his final message, he assured that he communicated directly to State Security agents his decision to remain in the country.
"I don't plan to leave Cuba. I will continue working here, doing journalism for the freedom of Cuba," he stated.
The arrest occurred in a context marked by the arrival in Havana of the remains of 32 officers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), who passed away in Venezuela on January 3, during the U.S. military operation that culminated in the capture and transfer to New York of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
On January 15, a large funeral was held at the Sierra Maestra building, the headquarters of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, in Revolution Square in Havana, featuring a significant security presence and mobility restrictions in various areas of the city.
Before his release was confirmed, La Hora de Cuba had reported the disappearance of Constantín since the afternoon of January 14.
His last communication with the team occurred around 6:50 PM, after noticing connectivity issues.
The next day, colleagues found his home open and monitored by a State Security agent, while his phone remained off.
The media publicly held the Cuban regime responsible for the physical well-being of its director and demanded information about his whereabouts.
Constantín has faced arrests, threats, movement restrictions, and other forms of harassment in the past due to his critical journalistic work.
The Hour of Cuba, based in Camagüey, has established itself as a community journalism outlet that documents everyday life, scarcity, and social conflicts on the Island, in an environment of constant pressure from the authorities.
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