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The Cuban influencer Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known as Anna Bensi, was summoned this Monday along with her mother, Caridad (Cary) Silvente, to the police unit in Alamar, Havana, where the interrogation of the young YouTuber lasted more than two hours, raising concern among family members and followers.
From the location, people close to the family spread urgent messages on social media asking for support and visibility.
"Our Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente has been under interrogation for over two hours and concern is growing. If she is not released within an hour, I will go with friends to demand her immediate freedom. Enough of this abuse," warned the activist Lara Crofs, whose real name is Yamilka Lafita.
Another testimony from the police unit stated that we have been waiting for a signature for almost two hours, while the family members waited without clear information about the status of the detainees, reported Antony Martínez on Facebook.
From the Facebook profile Pregoneros de Cristo, it was reported that Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente and her mother, Cary Silvente, were summoned, amid an escalating repression that has affected several content creators in Cuba in recent weeks.
Anna Bensi's mother had previously been threatened with up to five years in prison by the Cuban authorities, amid the pressures exerted on the family, recalled Havana Times.
Both women had been informed of charges under article 393 of the Cuban Penal Code, which resulted in them being placed under house arrest following a previous detention episode.
The repression against Anna Bensi has not been limited to summonses and arrests.
Recently, Anna's WhatsApp account was suspended without any chance of recovery, cutting off one of her main communication channels with the outside world.
The American diplomat Mike Hammer visited Anna Bensi and her mother, highlighting that their only crime has been defending their beliefs, their faith, in a gesture that underscored international attention on the case.
The pressure on the family also included direct threats. Agents from the State Security told Anna's sister that Trump will invade Cuba and the first missile will hit home, which was interpreted as a tactic of intimidation.
The case of Anna Bensi is part of a broader wave of repression against content creators.
David Espinosa and his wife Laidy García were summoned by the Ministry of the Interior this Sunday, in a pattern that indicates systematic harassment against critical voices on the island.
All of this occurs while Díaz-Canel stated on the Meet the Press program of NBC News that there are no political prisoners in Cuba, a statement that directly contrasts with documented cases of repression against activists and content creators.
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