The exiled Cuban activist Amelia Calzadilla reported this Wednesday that her parents had already left the IV Police Unit of Cerro in Havana, after being subjected to an interrogation lasting approximately two hours by State Security agents, and she publicly thanked those who supported them during the process.
In a post on her Facebook account, Calzadilla explained that she had not yet been able to communicate with her parents due to a lack of connection in Cuba, but she wanted to express her gratitude to the Christian group led by Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora, known as the "Herald of Christ," for being there for them. "I want to thank the Christian group led by Pastor Rolando Herald of Christ for being there for them. When I manage to communicate, I will tell them," the activist wrote.
Calzadilla also expressed her gratitude to those who have stood by her since she publicly reported the summons: "A thousand thanks to everyone who has supported me in this complaint and has offered me help and comfort."
The interrogation had been reported by Calzadilla on July 12, when she revealed that the citation was delivered on July 11 —the fifth anniversary of the 11J protests— directly to her family home in Cerro by two agents, one in civilian clothes and one in uniform. The activist described the measure as a direct retaliation for her political activism from exile and referred to her parents as "sick elderly" who live as "hostages of a tyrannical, bloodthirsty, and criminal dictatorship."
On the day of the interrogation, before it began, Calzadilla posted a strong message: "I have no regrets, my parents will not be interrogated because of my political activism; they will be interrogated because they live as hostages of a tyrannical, bloodthirsty, and criminal dictatorship. This is until the end."
The presence of Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora alongside the parents of Calzadilla reflects a documented pattern of support for activists and their families in the face of state repression. On July 2, the pastor had already accompanied the activist Anna Bensi during a police summons in Alamar, and the following day he was held for more than eight hours along with members of the collective "Fuera de la Caja Cuba". In March 2026, he had been arrested in Peñas Altas, Matanzas, for recording a biblical teaching video.
Calzadilla has been residing in Madrid since November 2023, when she went into exile with her husband Tony Díaz and their three children after years of systematic harassment by State Security. In June 2023, her husband was detained as a form of emotional blackmail. In January 2024, the regime threatened her with prohibiting her entry to Cuba as a consequence of her activism on social media.
The tactic of summoning or interrogating relatives of exiled activists is a documented practice of the Cuban regime to pressure opponents from abroad, using vulnerable individuals as instruments of psychological coercion. The summons delivered on the same day as the anniversary of 11J reinforces the interpretation that it was a deliberate and intimidating action.
Calzadilla promised to provide more details about what happened during the interrogation as soon as he manages to get in touch with his parents.
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