A video circulated by the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) showed Panamanian citizens distributing food and other supplies to vulnerable people in Matanzas, in stark contrast to the official version of the Cuban regime regarding their detention.
In the recordings, identified as having been made in February 2026, dozens of people can be seen gathering in impoverished neighborhoods upon hearing that donations were being distributed.
Elderly individuals, mothers with children, and neighbors gather at gates and doors to receive bags of food. According to the activist Magdiel Jorge Castro –in a message that accompanied the audiovisual material–, “when the whole town learned that the Panamanians were donating food, many people came seeking help.”
The Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer stated that the group had started their preparations since early February. As he explained in a social media post, they traveled to Cuba with humanitarian aid intended for political prisoners, their families, peaceful opposition activists, and vulnerable individuals.
According to their account, in addition to food, they were carrying medications and other essential products. They also intended to express solidarity with activists imprisoned in recent months, who were accused of painting graffiti in favor of freedom and against the Cuban political system.
Ferrer stated that part of the group planned to place stickers and printed materials at various points in Havana and other provinces as a gesture of support for those who, according to him, have been imprisoned for similar protests.
The initial plan was to transport aid from the capital to Santiago de Cuba, but due to multiple urgent requests for assistance, especially in Pedro Betancourt (Matanzas) and other locations, they modified the route.
Detentions and conflicting accounts
According to the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), ten Panamanian citizens were arrested on February 28, 2026, for alleged acts of propaganda against the constitutional order, a crime defined in Article 124 of the Penal Code.
The authorities of the regime claimed that they entered the country with the purpose of crafting and placing "subversive" signs, and that they would receive between 1,000 and 1,500 dollars upon returning to Panama. They also stated that the detainees initially acknowledged their involvement in the incidents, although no material evidence has been publicly presented.
Ferrer offered a different version. He noted that the group originally consisted of 16 people. Six of them, responsible for food distribution, left the country upon learning that the police were looking for them. The other ten began to create graffiti and ended up being detained.
The activist reported that those arrested are in a detention center and warned about possible pressures for them to self-incriminate. “The tyranny lies,” he stated on social media.
Among the names released is that of Abigail Stephany Gudiño Castro, identified as one of those detained. Ferrer announced that he would publish the names and photographs of the rest of the group.
It was also reported that Boris Betancourt, leader of the Organization Path to Democracy of Cuba, has started a hunger strike demanding the release of the ten Panamanians. It was also mentioned that interested journalists can contact the group's representative in Panama, Katerine Torres, for more information.
Political context and rising tension
The case arises in a context of severe economic crisis and widespread shortages in Cuba, where independent humanitarian aid initiatives are often monitored and, at times, obstructed by the authorities.
While the totalitarian regime claims it was an operation with political motives coordinated from abroad, the opposition insists that the trip had a solidarity and humanitarian component, although it acknowledges that some members intended to carry out symbolic protest actions.
So far, it has not been publicly confirmed whether the detainees have independent legal representation or if they have had full access to Panamanian consular assistance.
The development of the investigation and the potential diplomatic response from Panama will be crucial in the coming days to clarify the true extent of the events and the future of the detained citizens.
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