The United States Embassy in Cuba demanded that the Cuban regime cease intimidating the young content creator Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known on social media as Anna Bensi, and her mother, Caridad "Cary" Silvente, following the police interrogation and judicial threats they are facing in Havana.
In a message circulated on the social media platform X, the U.S. diplomatic mission directly questioned the actions of the Cuban authorities against both women.
"We have not had the pleasure of meeting Anna Bensi or her mother, but why are the authorities of the regime summoning them? Why are they threatening them?" the embassy wrote.
The statement also included a warning addressed to the regime officials involved in such repressive actions.
"To those from the regime who abuse the citizens, we will ask our 'QuitaVisas' (Under Secretary of State) to ensure they can never enter the U.S. Report them!" the message stated.
The embassy also took advantage of the statement to call for the release of the members of the El4tico project, asking: "By the way, where are those from El4tico? Release them!"
The message is a demonstration of international support in response to the harassment and political pressure against the young influencer and her family, in a context of increasing surveillance and bullying against critical content creators in Cuba.
Interrogation and accusations against the influencer's mother
The reaction from the U.S. embassy comes after Cary Silvente, the mother of Anna Bensi, was summoned for questioning at a police unit in Alamar, Havana.
The woman attended the interrogation, and hours later, she left with a formal charge for having filmed the agents who came to her house to summon her, along with a measure of house arrest and the obligation to find a lawyer within five days.
Silvente explained that, after arriving at the police station, she was taken to an office where two men and a woman, whom she identified as State Security agents, interrogated her for about two hours.
The woman described the interrogation as a "horrible" experience and revealed that she was threatened with a sentence of up to five years in prison.
The interrogators labeled her a "bad mother," described Anna Bensi as "counterrevolutionary," and accused her of conspiring and receiving alleged orders from the United States.
Silvente decided to respond only to what was essential and refused to sign any document presented to him without the presence of a lawyer.
"My mom and I are innocent people."
After learning about the accusation against her mother, Anna Bensi stated that the interrogation aimed to "intimidate her, pressure her," and "unsettle her."
According to him, the police claim that his mother "exposed a State Security agent," a man who "has a family" and who has allegedly been threatened, and they warned him that if anything happens to his relatives, Silvente will be held responsible.
The influencer flatly rejected those accusations. "My mom is not a criminal; my mom and I are completely innocent people," she said.
The young woman reported that both of them have received constant threats and directly held the State Security accountable for any harm they may suffer.
"If anything happens to my mom or me, the blame will be on you," she stated.
For Anna, the summons is a form of pressure due to her online activities, where she comments on the economic crisis, everyday life, and the lack of freedoms in Cuba.
The 21-year-old Havana native has gained popularity on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, where her videos about Cuban reality have reached a wide audience and have even been referenced by international media.
She also revealed that the authorities informed her mother that she herself will be summoned soon.
In the face of that possibility, Bensi assured that he does not intend to remain silent. "You can imprison, you can kill people, but you cannot kill ideas," he stated.
In her message, the young woman combined political denunciation with religious references and stated that both she and her mother act "entirely by faith."
The public backing of the U.S. Embassy now adds international pressure to a case that has become a symbol of the harassment faced by citizens and content creators who expose the reality of the country on social media.
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