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The young people involved in the project El4tico were detained this Friday in Holguín during an operation conducted between six and seven in the morning, according to reported the platform Ciudadanía y Libertad on the social network X.
The organization identified the arrested individuals as Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Kamil Zayas Pérez, who —according to that report— were taken to the Criminal Instruction headquarters of the province, known as “Everyone Sings.”
Ciudadanía y Libertad described that center as a place with "repeated reports" of torture, violent interrogations, and degrading treatment, referring to it as "the Villa Marista of Holguín."
During the operation, according to the same report, agents took computers, phones, cameras, and equipment that the youths used to "record and document their work."
The report adds that in the home remained Doris Santiesteban Batista along with the couple's young daughter, “in a situation of absolute vulnerability” after the operation.
In its message, Ciudadanía y Libertad stated that these actions are “not normal legal procedures,” but rather part of a pattern of “punishment, intimidation, and silencing” against young people who exercise their right to express themselves and create independently.
He also urged Cuban civil society, the diaspora, and international human rights organizations to "bring attention to the case" and demand guarantees for the physical and legal integrity of those detained.
The Cuban activist Amelia Calzadilla had previously denounced the repressive action against young people linked to the independent project after police agents appeared at the home from which they produce and disseminate their content.
Through a video shared on social media, Calzadilla alerted about what happened.
The project El4tico shared the video on its social media, and numerous Cuban activists have offered their supportive solidarity. In the recording, a police officer can be heard explaining: "You have a search warrant. You must open up and allow us to enter."
It was a group of at least four officers, and one of them showed the activist the document that supposedly corresponds to the search warrant.
El4tico is known on social media for his videos analyzing and critiquing the sociopolitical reality of Cuba. He has gained visibility by deconstructing official narratives through communicational arguments and historical elements.
In a country marked by blackouts, rampant inflation, mass migration, and growing social discontent, such initiatives once again bring the debate about freedom of expression and creativity in Cuba to the forefront.
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