The name of Duniel Hernández Santos appears at the center of the official version provided by the Cuban regime following the armed confrontation reported on Wednesday morning in waters north of Villa Clara, where four people died and others were injured.
The Ministry of the Interior (MININT) confirmed that the "citizen Duniel Hernández Santos, sent from the United States to ensure the reception of armed infiltration, who is currently confessing to his actions." was detained within national territory.
According to that narrative, Hernández was said to be the ground contact for the group that intended to arrive in a speedboat from Florida, supposedly for terrorist purposes.
However, individuals who claim to have known him since childhood reject that accusation and question whether he was "sent" from the United States on an organized mission.
In telephone statements to the influencer Eliécer Ávila, a woman who claims to have grown up alongside him expressed her disbelief.
“That little boy grew up with me… next to my house”, she recalled; and she emphasized the distinction between Duniel and other members of his family, specifically the young man's brother, of whom she said he had a lengthy criminal record.
"But that little boy is completely the opposite," he argued.
According to his testimony, Hernández arrived in Cuba in 2024 after having been detained in the United States and subsequently deported.
"A boy who was detained... and who was deported directly to Cuba, that is a lie what they are saying," he stated in reference to the official accusation.
“I don’t have any evidence, but it seems to me that that boy has nothing to do with this,” he insisted.
And he made a direct appeal: “At the very least, let someone step up and say: I know him, and I don’t believe everything that’s being said about that boy.”
Divided reactions and a case under public suspicion
The case has sparked a strong reaction on social media, where the name Duniel Hernández has become a point of contention between those who distrust the official version and those who support it unreservedly.
Some internet users came to their defense.
“I know him too; I don't believe what the dictatorship says,” wrote a user. Another commenter described him as “so kind Duniel,” while several agreed in calling him “a good kid.”
Others, on the other hand, appealed to caution or supported the government's narrative.
"We need to wait for the evidence... Cuban intelligence will have the necessary evidence in due time," commented an internet user. Another asserted, "He has already confessed everything," aligning with the statement from MININT that the accused is "confessed."
There were also theories circulating that ranged from the hypothesis of an "organized self-attack by the G2" to warnings that "these deportees need to be monitored closely", illustrating how the case has been engulfed by the climate of political polarization.
The confrontation in Villa Clara
The case of Hernández is part of the operation reported by the MININT in waters near Cayo Falcones, municipality of Corralillo, province of Villa Clara.
According to the official report, a speedboat registered in the state of Florida (FL7726SH) was detected approximately one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel.
A unit of the Border Guard Troops - comprised of five members - approached to identify the vessel.
According to the government’s version, gunfire was opened from the “violating” boat against the Cuban military, which led to an exchange of shots in which the commander of the Cuban unit was injured.
The official report stated that four people were killed and six were injured, with the latter being taken for medical attention.
Authorities state that the vessel was carrying ten armed individuals who intended to enter the country for "terrorist purposes," according to preliminary statements from those arrested.
Among those arrested are Amijail Sánchez González, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra.
The names of Sánchez González and Cruz Gómez also appear on the list of individuals considered terrorists that the regime updated in July and presented to the UN.
The MININT reported the seizure of assault rifles, handguns, homemade incendiary devices, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms.
He also noted that some of those involved have criminal records and that two were listed in connections with previous investigations.
Between the accusation and the lack of public evidence
So far, the only official information about Duniel Hernández is that he is in custody and that authorities accuse him of having ensured the "reception of the armed infiltration."
No documentary evidence or images have been disclosed to support that claim, other than describing him as "confessed."
On the part of those who know him, the defense is based on his personal history and the fact that he was recently deported to Cuba, which—according to them—contradicts the notion that he was "sent" with a mission organized from the United States.
As has happened in other cases involving alleged offenses against state security, the flow of information is almost exclusively controlled by official sources, while alternative narratives circulate on social media and independent outlets.
In the midst of this situation, the case of Duniel Hernández is caught between two irreconcilable narratives: that of the alleged collaborator in an armed incursion and that of the "little boy" who, according to those who knew him well, "has nothing to do" with the story that now places him at the center of a terrorism accusation.
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