The digital activist group "Fuera de la Caja Cuba" reported that the Cuban regime disabled the phones of its members as retaliation for publicly supporting the content creator Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente (Anna Bensi), during her interrogation with State Security.
"They want us to be quiet," summarized the group in a reel posted on Facebook that garnered over 320,000 views.
The young people took two tricycles to get to Alamar, where the police station is located that summoned Anna.
"Obviously, it is to show her that she is not alone and to feel strong in the face of all the intimidation that this dictatorship exerts, and simultaneously to let the regime see that we Cubans no longer ignore the injustices."
The girl who narrated the video recounted that during the journey, they realized that their phone lines had been disabled.
"They want us quiet, but upon arriving, we had the pleasure of being with many good people and, above all, brave ones. (...) Trusting in God that everything will turn out well. Today we understood that any harm done to us will only make us stronger," he emphasized.
The group concluded their statement with a message of unity: "We thank Annita for being so strong, her mother for never stopping her support, and everyone who helped make things easier. Unity is key."
What happened to Anna Bensi at the police summons?
The day was marked by the formal charges against the activist, as she reported after leaving the Police Unit No. 27 in Alamar, where she underwent a one-hour interrogation alongside her lawyer.
"They even checked my hair", said the 21-year-old young woman, who held the authorities responsible for any harm she might suffer. "They made me take off my hairstyle, my blouse, my pants, and they checked my shoes to see if I had anything," she detailed.
Anna Bensi was formally charged as a co-author of the crime of "acts against personal and family privacy, the right to one's own image and voice, the identity of another person, and their data," which is punishable under the Penal Code with sentences ranging from three to five years in prison.
Additionally, she was placed under house arrest, with a prohibition on leaving the country and traveling between provinces without prior authorization.
Despite the difficult time and the arbitrary measure imposed on her, she expressed her gratitude for the support received: "I am super grateful to everyone who came to stand by me and to those who have shown their support on social media. They are not only supporting my mom and me, but also a national cause: freedom."
The case against the girl originated a few days ago, stemming from the filming and dissemination on social media of a video in which a MININT officer is seen delivering a summons at the family home. The video was recorded by her mother, Caridad "Cary" Silvente Laffita.
Harassment against Cary Silvente began on March 11, when agents interrogated her for two hours and also placed her under house arrest. On March 18, her lawyer filed a motion for dismissal with the Prosecutor's Office, which is still awaiting a response.
State Security agents went so far as to label the woman a "bad mother" and her daughter a "counter-revolutionary" acting under orders from Washington.
The United States government demanded that the Cuban regime cease threats and intimidation against both.
The harassment of "Outside the Box"
Fuera de la Caja Cuba is made up of Amanda Beatriz Andrés Navarro (20 years old), Abel Alejandro Andrés Navarro (22), Mauro Reigos Pérez (20), and Karel Daniel Hernández Bosques (20).
The group, known for its red hats bearing the slogan "Make Cuba Great Again," has denounced the harassment from State Security and responded firmly: "They will not silence us."
On March 18, agents of State Security showed up at Karel's mother's house and Betty's father's to intimidate them.
ETECSA, the state telecommunications monopoly, has been identified as a tool for political control on multiple occasions, and the disabling of phones belonging to those who simply supported Anna Bensi represents an extension of these tactics into the social environment of activists.
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