The renowned Cuban filmmaker Fernando Pérez recorded a message of solidarity with activist Leonardo Romero Negrín, who was arrested on the night of July 1 in Centro Habana during a protest against power outages, and shared it through journalist Lisbeth Moya González on social media. He did this, as seen in the video, amidst a power outage.
"I am in the midst of a blackout, but I have received the news that Leonardo Romero, a young man who expresses his ideas, who wants to build, who wants to participate, who wants to change so many things, like many young people in this country, is in prison," the director declared.
Pérez pointed out that the detention of Romero Negrín "is yet another mistake" and warned that the regime's refusal to acknowledge civic participation "has created an already too deep rift between many young people and the government."
"I don't know Leonardo, but I do know what he does. I believe that Leonardo should not be in prison, just like other political prisoners who also want to express their ideas. That's not the way," he stated.
His final words encapsulated the weight of his plea: "As long as many young people are not heard and cannot participate, we will have a broken Cuba, not the Cuba we dream of."
The intellectual Alina Bárbara López Hernández shared the video and described Pérez as “one of the most important Cuban filmmakers” who “raises his voice for a just cause.”
Romero Negrín, a political prisoner with a documented history of persecution, was violently arrested during the protests on July 1, according to testimonies collected by the organizations Cubalex and Justicia 11J. He remains detained at the Zanja police station in Central Havana, and his family has not received clear information regarding his situation or health condition.
The authorities intend to prosecute him for an alleged offense of public disorder. Moya González warned that a criminal record has been opened against him, which suggests that he may not be released immediately.
It is not the first time the regime has had him in its sights. Romero Negrín was beaten by the police during the protests of July 11, 2021 and fined for public disorder after protesting with a sign that read "Socialism Yes, Repression No." In 2026, detentions have intensified: he was held for 12 hours in February along with Alina Bárbara López, arrested in March for protesting with a blank sign, and detained for almost ten hours in April.
Cubalex reported that the case "confirms a pattern of persecution against political prisoners in Cuba," who are subjected to "surveillance, threats, arbitrary detentions, and criminal proceedings based on false accusations, used as mechanisms of reprisal and control."
The detention occurs in a context of acute crisis: on July 1, the largest blackout left 65% of the country without electricity, with only two to three hours of daily supply for millions of Cubans. In that same dark setting, Fernando Pérez recorded his message, a detail that did not go unnoticed by those who shared it.
This is not the first time the filmmaker has taken a public stance. In February 2021, he had already called for no repression against the young people demanding action from the authorities, a position he remains consistent with throughout his career both on and off the Island.
According to the report from Cubalex, the organization demands that the authorities promptly inform about Romero Negrín's situation and "put an end to the criminalization of those who peacefully exercise their rights." Prisoners Defenders estimated approximately 1,250 political prisoners in Cuba at the end of March 2026.
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