The young Ernesto Ricardo Medina, a member of the independent audiovisual project El4tico —alongside Kamil Zayas Pérez—, is marking 72 days in prison in Holguín this Monday without a trial date set, and from his cell, he has categorically rejected the demand from State Security to record a video of "repentance and retraction."
His mother, Mileydi Machín, posted a handwritten letter on Facebook this Monday that Ernesto wrote from prison on April 2nd, accompanied by a message that directly addresses President Miguel Díaz-Canel: "Today marks 72 days since my son has been imprisoned, our president says there are no political prisoners in Cuba, so what is he being accused of? Is he a terrorist? He might instill fear with just a piece of paper and a pencil, with an idea."
In the letter, written in pen on wrinkled and partially torn paper, Ernesto describes a pattern of sustained pressure: "Since this process of repression and psychological torture began, a constant demand from State Security has been the production of a video on their terms in which the words 'repentance and retraction' are quite well defined. I have said on multiple occasions that 'NO'."
The young man explains precisely why he refuses: "For me to regret and retract, I would have to acknowledge that I did something wrong or, to put it more accurately, accept the accusations against us." He adds, "Lastly, and no less importantly, it would be a lie; yes, we could have done better, but our intentions were in line with the 'spiritual Revolution' that dying Cuba needs."
The activist and journalist José Raúl Gallego shared the letter with an accurate analysis: "Recording a video does not improve the situation of the detainee, it only provides the oppressor with evidence to incriminate him." Gallego also emphasized that "the young people from El4tico are innocent and have nothing to retract or regret; by not falling into this trap set by State Security, which they have used against others, they are maintaining the most advantageous position for their case."
Ernesto was arrested on February 6 along with his companion Kamil Zayas Pérez in a police operation in Holguín, during which State Security confiscated computers, phones, cameras, and production equipment. Both are facing charges of "propaganda against the constitutional order" and "incitement to commit a crime," offenses that can carry up to nine years in prison. A habeas corpus petition filed on their behalf was admitted by the Provincial Court of Holguín and later rejected.
The case falls within a documented wave of repression by the Cuban regime against content creators on social media. In April 2026, youtuber Anna Bensi was summoned for interrogation in Havana on similar charges under the Penal Code. Previously, youtuber Yoandi Montiel was sentenced to two years in prison for contempt in 2022, and other creators such as Ruhama Fernández and Jancel Moreno also faced raids and threats for critical posts on digital platforms.
International solidarity with the youth of El4tico has been expressed under the hashtag #TodosSomosEl4tico. The head of mission at the United States Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer, spoke in April with Doris Santiesteban, the wife of Ernesto, and committed to continuing to insist on their release. Doris has repeatedly expressed the anguish and suffering of her young daughter, who continuously asks about her father.
Amnesty International also reported in April that both young men remain in provisional detention. Mileydi Machín concluded her post with a phrase that encapsulates her son's resilience: "They may imprison him, but they cannot imprison his thoughts, nor those of the people. People may be silent, but they celebrate when someone speaks out against injustice."
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