The young Cuban content creator Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known on social media as Anna Bensi, defended her right to express herself in a new message posted on social media following recent events involving her mother.
In a video shared on her networks, the 21-year-old from Havana explained that she decided to share part of her personal story to clarify why she speaks publicly about the reality she experiences in Cuba: “Today I come to talk to you about myself, I don't usually do this but I think it will be good to share a little piece of my story,” she said at the beginning of the message.
In the video, she recalled that since childhood, she tried to do things right and meet expectations at school: “I've always liked to do things well since I was little; I don’t like being scolded,” she said. She explained that she participated in contests, exhibitions, and school activities, striving to stand out as a student.
Over time, however, he began to question the system in which he was raised. "Until I realized that nothing adds up. In this country, sacrifice and integrity get you nowhere," he stated.
The young woman also spoke about the economic sacrifices her family had to make to support her education. “To see me graduate, my mom sold a bath egg we had… to buy me some little shoes, a dress, and to pay for a car so I wouldn't have to struggle that day,” she recounted.
From that experience, he questioned the official narrative about the Cuban educational system. "Education has never been free; I owe nothing to the revolution," he stated.
Bensi also defended her behavior as a citizen and rejected the criticisms she has received for her public statements.
"I am not a criminal; I am a twenty-one-year-old young Christian, Cuban, who simply does not agree with the system of the country where I live," she stated.
"Some have told me that I don't contribute anything to society, but I say that I fulfill my role as a citizen; I don't steal, I don't sell, and I don't use drugs, and I don't engage in any kind of crime," she added.
He also insisted that his opinions are based solely on personal convictions. “No one has to pay me to tell the truth, but well, there are many people who are paid to tell lies.”
The message comes after several days of tension surrounding her family. Her mother, Caridad “Cary” Silvente, was interrogated for about two hours by State Security agents at a police station in Alamar, in Havana.
After that interrogation, the authorities informed her that she was facing a charge for having filmed the agent who came to her home to deliver a citation. According to her testimony, they indicated that the case could result in penalties of up to five years in prison and that she had to appear again accompanied by a lawyer.
According to what the authorities communicated, the accusation is related to the dissemination of a video featuring Yoel Leodan Rabaza Ramos, a sub-official of the Ministry of the Interior, which, in their interpretation, could fall under Article 393 of the Cuban Penal Code concerning the disclosure of personal data.
After the interrogation, Bensi also reported that both she and her mother were without internet access for several hours, a situation that was later restored.
In the midst of the controversy, artists, activists, and numerous users have expressed messages of support for the young woman on social media, as reflected in the wave of public backing that emerged following the case. An international statement was also made when the U.S. Embassy in Cuba called on the regime to stop intimidating the young woman and her mother.
In his most recent message, Bensi explained that his stance comes from the accumulated fatigue after years of trying to get ahead in the country.
"I am just an ordinary young woman who exploded one day because I see that life is slipping away in a country that has no opportunities to offer," she expressed.
And he concluded with a reflection directed at those following his case: “I don’t know how much more we will suffer before we realize that we are more and, above all, we do not deserve to live like this.”
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