Police operations against activists and journalists on May 1st in Cuba

The Cuban regime launched a wide-ranging preventive repressive operation this Friday against activists, independent journalists, and opponents in the context of International Workers' Day, with at least 18 people affected by police cordons, communication cuts, or detentions in various parts of the country.

Yoani Sánchez, journalist and founder of 14ymedio, publicly denounced the presence of an operation in the lower levels of her building.

"A police operation in the basement of our building to prevent us from going out on the street this May 1st," he wrote on his social media.

The human rights organization Cubalex issued an alert documenting that these actions "reflect a pattern of preventive repression aimed at hindering the exercise of fundamental rights during periods of high public visibility."

Among the cases documented by Cubalex are the activists Gerardo Páez Díaz and Mileisis Vigoa Marrero, who woke up under a surveillance device of State Security around their home.

According to the testimony received by the organization, "a neighbor alerted about the presence of surveillance since early morning hours."

When they stepped out to confront them, it was confirmed that this was being carried out by a neighbor—who on other occasions has provided his home as a command center for repressive actions—and he informed them that they could not leave their house until the march was over.

Cubalex described the events as "an arbitrary restriction of freedom of movement" and also reported surveillance operations against the journalist Yamilka Lafita, known as Lara Crofs, and the activist Alejandro Garlobo.

Selective communication blackouts against Berta Soler, the historical leader of the Damas de Blanco, were also reported. This tactic has been used repeatedly by the regime against the opposition figure during politically sensitive times.

Repression began a day before the parade. The independent journalist Ángel Cuza Alfonso was arrested on April 30 in front of his young daughter by State Security agents at a nearby corner to his home in Havana, involving physical struggle.

The girl tried to defend her father by grasping one of the agents, according to a video shared by activist Keilylli De La Mora Valle. Cuza, a contributor to CubaNet, has an extensive history of persecution: between January 2022 and November 2023, Cubalex documented ten arbitrary detentions, eight home surveillance operations, four illegal summons, and four threats against him.

This year's official parade took place under the theme "Year of Preparation for Defense," featuring a distinctly militaristic tone in response to tensions with the Donald Trump administration, while mobilizing official unions amid a deep economic crisis.

Critical voices pointed out the regime's contradiction in organizing a labor march while suppressing those who seek to manifest freely, a pattern that repeats every year in Cuba and includes home blockades, internet cuts, and the use of informants as part of the repressive infrastructure of State Security.

This context arises when the repression in Cuba maintains alarming numbers: as of April 17, Justicia11J recorded 775 political prisoners on the island, one of the highest figures in the region.