The Cuban influencer Kristoff publicly joined the expressions of support for the young people of the independent project El4tico, who have been detained in Holguín for several days, and urged other content creators to voice their discontent regarding the imprisonment.
In a video shared on his social media, Kristoff explained why he decided to speak out: “I’m making this video because I believe that those from El4tico would have done the same, for me and for anyone who has gone through something similar.”
The influencer described the members of El4tico as young individuals who “analyze, attack, and criticize the dictatorship and seek solutions, or what it would be like if we had freedom,” and he stated that he was not surprised they ended up detained. “I was surprised they remained free for so long, no matter how harsh that sounds, because they can’t handle anything; anything you say will get you accused right away,” he affirmed.
Kristoff pointed out that, in his view, the authorities were looking for a pretext to arrest them. “It seems they did not have a reason, or were searching for a reason to imprison them,” he said, while recalling that the young people had already been detained for several days after a police operation conducted at their home in Holguín.
In his message, he asserted that the current moment is particularly significant for highlighting what is happening in Cuba. “We are living in a historical moment right now, like never before, like no Cuban has ever experienced; we have never been as close to freedom as we are now,” he expressed.
Kristoff made a direct call to other influencers, both within and outside the country, to not remain silent. “If you are an influencer and you are seeing this, at least express your discontent. Okay, you are inside Cuba, you can't do much, but at least complain, let it be known that you are not satisfied,” he urged.
He also emphasized the international impact that the Cuban issue has begun to have. "I am fortunate that people from other countries are starting to follow me. The topic of Cuba is gaining a lot of attention, and I'm very happy about that because it has never happened before," he stated.
Throughout the video, he emphasized the importance of the world being aware of the reality that Cubans face. “Everyone needs to know what is happening in Cuba, everyone needs to know that we live in a dictatorship, everyone needs to understand how they operate, everyone needs to be aware of the hardships we've endured for so long,” he said.
Regarding the detained youths, he emphasized that it is a small group that, from a limited space, spoke for many. "The truth is there were only two young men who are in prison, a tiny room there, speaking for the millions of Cubans that we are," he pointed out.
Kristoff also warned about a pattern that recurs in cases of political prisoners: progressive forgetting. "The most messed up thing about political prisoners and that sort of thing is that in the first few days, everyone screams and amplifies the news, but the problem is that it fades from memory over time, and those people remain imprisoned," he stated.
In that regard, he stressed that visibility can make a difference. "The best thing that can happen with this is that it becomes so loud that they feel compelled to let them go, that it gets covered in media from other countries," he said, referring to the importance of international pressure.
Kristoff stated that the regime fears the power of words and the ability to spread them. “They are afraid, they are afraid of words, they are afraid of what one might say, they are afraid of the reach one can have,” he asserted.
He asked to share any content related to El4tico or the situation in Cuba. “Maybe it seems trivial to you, but imagine being jailed for just being, for speaking, you know, for talking, because all they do is set up a camera and talk,” he said.
In his message, he questioned the official discourse on freedom of expression. "Cuba's national media are quick to claim that there is freedom of expression in Cuba, which has never existed," he stated.
The video concluded with a call to not remain silent and to keep up public pressure. "I urge everyone who sees this, any content related to Cuba, any content involving these same guys, to share it," he requested.
Kristoff closed by reiterating his demand: "Freedom for El4tico and for all political prisoners."
Kristoff has been residing in the United States since 2023, when he emigrated after several years of activity as a content creator in Cuba, a fact he confirmed by publicly announcing his arrival in the country through a video shared on his social media. Before leaving the island, he had gained notoriety for his humorous videos and social critique centered on the Cuban reality.
Kristoff's statement adds to a broad chain of supportive messages expressed in recent days by artists, intellectuals, activists, and young Cubans, following the detention of Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina, members of the El4tico project. This case has generated reactions from intellectual Alina Bárbara López Hernández, young activists, and figures in the artistic field, who have denounced the imprisonment for exercising critical thought and free expression.
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