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This Sunday, Father's Day, Daniela Escarra was unable to celebrate with her husband.
On the eve of the date, the wife of Eduardo «Eddy» Ceballos, creator of the satirical channel Despingovery Channel, posted two messages on Instagram that touched thousands of people: her husband has been imprisoned in Cuba for over three weeks, accused of revealing state secrets, and faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years.
"Father's Day is approaching, and today I couldn't help but cry. It hurts to know that you're far away, in a cold place without the joy you deserve, far from your daughter and the family that loves you and waits for you every day," Daniela wrote on her account @danyescarra_99.
In a second post, the young woman was more direct against the regime: "In wanting to teach a lesson once again, they are breaking a family. In wanting to silence a voice, they are leaving a home filled with absences, questions, and pain."
Eddy Ceballos, 38 years old, was arrested on June 1, 2026 in the Diez de Octubre municipality of Havana, during a police operation that did not allow him to enter his home or notify his wife.
The catalyst was the publication, on May 24, of a preview of what he himself called his "most warlike chapter": a tour of an abandoned military facility featuring Soviet missiles from the 1960s, radars, and Cold War bunkers.
Authorities initially informed the family of a charge for "invasion of military property," but Cubalex reported that this crime does not exist in the current Cuban penal codes.
The case escalated into an accusation of "disclosure of secrets related to State Security," a charge that can be prosecuted in a military court and carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison.
This legal pressure was compounded by a report from his mother: on June 17, she revealed that Eddy was physically assaulted while he was held in detention.
Despingovery Channel went viral in April 2025 for its parodies of nature documentaries that humorously and pseudo-scientifically depicted the deterioration of Cuba's urban infrastructure: potholes, ruins, and collapsed buildings. The name plays on the Cuban term "despingo," which is associated with chaos and ruin.
Eddy's case is not the only one. According to Prisoners Defenders, Cuba had 1,250 political prisoners in March 2026, many of whom are fathers celebrating this date from a cell.
Daniela, however, does not lose hope. "Your innocence will be proven today, tomorrow, and always, because there are no real grounds to uphold such an unjust sanction as the one they are imposing on you," she wrote.
His little daughter, whose Barbie-themed birthday was captured in family photos, also sent him a message: a crayon drawing that says "I love you, dad".
"Happy Father's Day, my Despingovery. We are waiting for you at home," Daniela concluded her letter.
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