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The photographer and Christian content creator Iván Daniel Calás Navarro denounced the harassment by State Security against activists in Cuba, stating that this repressive structure "works by threatening, lying, and intimidating" in an attempt to silence those who expose the reality of the country.
The young man's statement came after accompanying Cary Silvente, mother of the Cuban influencer Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente (Anna Bensi), to a police summons in Havana.
Calás recounted on how he and other Christian youth went to the police station to wait outside while the lady was being interrogated.
"I am very proud of my brothers, people of strength, a lot of strength!" he wrote.
According to what he explained, several of them crossed the city to be present and show their support for Cary. "There we were, doing nothing extraordinary, just praying and being there, because that is also being a church."
The young man emphasized that this gesture of support is nothing extraordinary, but rather a moral duty. "It’s the normal thing to do, simply the normal thing, what must be done," he stated.
He also acknowledged that in the past, many people did not stand by those who suffered repression, and that this "is shameful," but clarified that now "there is no more fear."
Calás also praised the firmness and convictions of Ana's mother.
According to the account, when the woman came out of the interrogation and they asked her how it had gone, the news that she was going to be prosecuted surprised everyone.
It was then that Calás launched his harshest criticism against the agents who conducted the interrogation.
"This rabble works this way, threatening, lying, intimidating. They try to silence voices, and they will only succeed in multiplying them. They need to understand that it’s no longer the 80s or 90s. It’s over. Their time has ended," he stated.
In his message, he also called on Cuban society to show solidarity with those facing pressure from the repressive system.
"To all Cubans inside Cuba, it's time to stand together! It is the hour of freedom," he concluded.
An interrogation that ended in threats
The situation that prompted the mobilization of these young people began when Caridad Silvente had to go to a police unit in Alamar, after being summoned in a process related to State Security.
Hours later, the woman emerged from the interrogation with a formal charge and under house arrest, in addition to the requirement to find a lawyer within five days.
The accusation is based on a video shared by Anna Bensi, in which two members of MININT dressed in plain clothes went to her house to deliver an official summons.
Cary explained that, once at the police station, she was taken to an office where two men and a woman identified as state security agents interrogated her for about two hours.
The woman described the experience as "horrible" and stated that she was threatened with a sentence of up to five years in prison.
The interrogators questioned her for allowing her daughter to post allegations on social media and accused her of being a "bad mother." They labeled her daughter as "counter-revolutionary," accused her of "conspiring," and claimed she was receiving orders from the United States.
A young Christian and the challenge of speaking without fear
Iván Daniel Calás Navarro is a Christian photographer and content creator who has become an increasingly prominent voice on social media in recent months.
At the beginning of March, he posted a video on Facebook in which he directly responded to those who threaten him from anonymous profiles.
"To those who threaten us with imprisonment through social media with fake profiles, I say: God bless you and may God have mercy on you," he stated.
The young man also criticized the practice of using fake accounts to intimidate those who express critical opinions. "I put my face, my voice... you use names and photos that aren't yours," he said.
Iván Daniel called those who attack from anonymity "cowards" and questioned why they do not dare to publicly defend their arguments. "If what you say is true, why don't you show your face?" he asked.
He also noted that, although he is aware of the possible consequences of speaking frankly in Cuba, he remains at peace with himself.
His message comes in a context where social media has become one of the few spaces where Cubans can openly express criticism about the country's situation.
However, that area is also marked by surveillance, harassment, and threats, both from anonymous profiles and through summonses, interrogations, and pressure against family members.
In light of that scenario, the act of supporting a mother summoned by the police and publicly denouncing what occurred has become a symbol of civic resistance and solidarity.
Calás's words reflect that spirit: the conviction that, despite fear and pressure, more and more Cubans are willing to support one another and to speak out.
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