The Cuban YouTuber Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known on social media as Anna Bensi, reported that agents linked to State Security visited her home to deliver a police summons addressed to her mother, Caridad Silvente, an incident that was recorded on video.
According to the images shared by the young woman, a plainclothes policeman wearing flip-flops arrived at the house, along with another man who did not identify himself and remained with his back to the camera throughout the exchange. During the conversation, the officer explained that the summons had been ordered by State Security and that she was to report the following day at two in the afternoon to a police station.
"I have nothing to do with this, but Security is the one sending me to summon you for tomorrow at two in the afternoon,” the officer is heard saying in the video as he hands over the document.
The mother of the content creator questioned the procedure and pointed out that, according to the regulations, summonses must be delivered at least 72 hours in advance. She also refused to sign the document, although she stated that she was willing to appear.
After the visit, Benítez stated that the men arrived on a motorcycle with a plate that could not be read and claimed that the citation contained irregularities. He explained that the document mentioned a "Captain Alberto" without a last name, while the signature was that of "Captain Rafael." Additionally, the space designated for indicating the reason for the citation was blank.
The young woman interpreted the summons as an attempt to pressure her due to her opinions on social media.
"I know you are looking for a justified way to reach me. I am not afraid of you, you do not intimidate me, and I will not be silenced, because I am simply exercising my right to express myself," he stated in his message.
Benítez, a 21-year-old from Havana, has gained notoriety on social media for her videos on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, where she talks about daily life in Cuba, economic hardships, and the lack of freedoms on the island. Her content recently went viral, even leading her to appear in international media.
The young woman has also previously reported pressures related to her digital activity, including surveillance in her environment, internet connectivity issues, and difficulties at work.
The citation of Benítez's mother comes amidst other recent reports of pressure against families of young creators of critical content on the island. This Tuesday, members of the digital project “Fuera de la Caja” stated that State Security agents intimidated the families of several of its members to warn them about their activity on social media.
"They want to imprison us, and now they are using our families to threaten us," denounced one of the young women after sharing her father's testimony, in which he stated that officials from the Ministry of the Interior warned him that the young people could be jailed for their posts.
Activists believe that these actions are part of a pressure strategy against a new generation of Cubans who use the internet to criticize the country's situation.
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