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Daniela Escarra, wife of the Cuban comedian Eduardo «Eddy» Ceballos, published a text on Facebook to reveal who the man behind the viral character Despingovery Channel is, while her husband remains imprisoned in Cuba facing a possible sentence of up to 30 years.
"For many of you, he is Despingovery Chanel, the content creator who has made you laugh time and time again. But... do you know who is behind that name?" Daniela wrote at the beginning of her message.
According to his account, behind the character is a 38-year-old man, a graduate of the School of Art Instructors, who has dedicated more than half of his life to the National Circus of Cuba and who in recent years decided to fully commit to humor, using social media as his stage. He has traveled to more than 13 countries sharing his art.
"Eddy is a prepared, hardworking man, a husband, father, and artist. A person who has built his career with effort and dedication," Daniela noted, emphasizing that behind the character, there is a human being.
"Today, that voice that for years made so many people smile remains silenced, as it goes through a situation that has completely changed the life of her family," he lamented.
Daniela is urging Eddy's followers to join the campaign for his release: "Don't be indifferent. Get informed, listen to his story, share this message, and help us ensure his voice is not silenced. Every person who shares, comments, or speaks about this case helps us keep hope alive."
Ceballos was detained on June 1 during a police operation in the Diez de Octubre municipality of Havana, without the agents allowing him to enter his home or to notify his wife.
The trigger 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, radar systems, and Cold War bunkers, which garnered 68,000 views before his arrest.
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 criminal codes, describing the arrest as a "flagrant violation of the principle of legality."
The case escalated to an accusation of "disclosure of secrets related to State Security," a charge that can be prosecuted by a military court with penalties of up to 30 years in prison.
For her mother, Marieta Pérez Alfaro, the change in positions has no other explanation than the regime's desire to silence him. "The fact that they take this to extreme levels, accusing him of espionage confirms that they want to silence him, they want to use him as an example," she stated.
Ceballos himself had anticipated his arrest by recording a preventive video with instructions to make it public if he was detained: "If you are watching this video, it unfortunately means I have been imprisoned, taken away from my home, my family, my daughter, once again showing the true nature of the government of Cuba."
To that legal pressure were added other complaints. The mother of the young man revealed on June 17 that her son was physically assaulted while being detained, and described the prison as "the precursor to hell, a place of much suffering."
The cameraman who worked with Ceballos on the military installation video was also detained by State Security, according to the family's report, with no details on the charges against him.
The case falls within a documented pattern of repression against digital creators.
Cuba ranks 160th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, and the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression recorded 1,188 violations of freedom of expression in 2025, a 54.7% increase compared to the previous year.
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