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The repression against freedom of expression and press in Cuba intensified in January 2026, with a significant increase in documented assaults across the country.
According to the most recent report from the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press, ICLEP recorded 114 aggressions in January of this year, representing a 12.9 percent increase compared to December 2025 and a 67.6 percent year-over-year growth compared to January of the previous year.
Of the total violations, 92 were related to freedom of expression and 22 to freedom of the press. The most alarming indicator was that of arbitrary detentions, with 69 cases, accounting for 60.5 percent of the total and a 430.8 percent increase compared to January 2025.
The report indicates that deprivation of liberty, even for short periods, has become the primary mechanism of intimidation against journalists, activists, and critical citizens.
There were also 23 documented attacks, threats, or psychological aggressions, 15 cases of abusive use of state power, six restrictions in the digital space, and one physical aggression.
Although no new cases of imprisonment were recorded during the month, the report warns that there are still individuals incarcerated for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Havana recorded 52 violations, establishing itself as the main epicenter of repression, followed by Matanzas with 16, Camagüey with 12, and Villa Clara with 11.
ICLEP clarifies that the lack of records in certain provinces does not imply the absence of repression, but rather possible limitations in documenting it due to higher levels of control and self-censorship.
Regarding the perpetrators, the State Security was involved in 71 incidents and the Revolutionary National Police in 34, which confirms, according to the report, the structural and institutional nature of the repression.
Participation from the judicial system, the penitentiary system, ETECSA, and other state entities was also recorded.
The profile of the victims reveals that activists were the most affected group, with 23 cases, followed by opposition members, political prisoners, and journalists.
Moreover, the report highlights a concerning increase in assaults against women, which rose from 11 cases in January 2025 to 25 in January 2026.
Among the emblematic cases, the repeated arrests of journalist Henry Constantín, director of the independent media outlet La Hora de Cuba, stand out. He was arrested at least three times during the month, in a pattern that the ICLEP describes as systematic harassment.
The report also identifies four instances of intensified repression linked to internal and international political contexts, including operations to prevent activists and journalists from attending diplomatic events and preventive actions on dates deemed sensitive by the authorities.
ICLEP concludes that the beginning of 2026 is shaping up to be a period of high risk for the exercise of freedom of expression and the press in Cuba, with a trend towards the increasing use of brief detentions, preventive surveillance, and control of the digital environment as tools to neutralize dissent.
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