The Cuban comedian Eddy Ceballos, creator of the satirical channel Despingovery Channel, sent a letter from prison in which he rejects the espionage charges against him and reaffirms his identity as an artist. The text was transcribed and published on Facebook by his mother, Marieta Pérez Alfaro, because Ceballos has not had access to his own means since his arrest.
The comedian has been detained for two months without the case reaching trial. He was arrested on June 1, 2026 in the Diez de Octubre municipality, Havana, after posting a video in which he explored an abandoned military facility with Soviet missiles from the 1960s, anti-aircraft systems, and Cold War bunkers.
"It has been two months since I have been deprived of my liberty and awaiting trial, accused of committing the crime of espionage against the security of the Cuban state. It might seem like a joke..., but it is not," Ceballos writes in the letter.
The text describes his conditions of confinement: “confined in a cell, with a shortage of food and water, far from my loved ones.” He is categorical about his innocence: “I am an artist, not a spy; a humorist who reflects the reality that is visible to everyone, not a criminal.”
The Cuban Prosecutor's Office is formally investigating Ceballos for espionage, as reported by the EFE agency on June 26, 2026. The charges fall under Article 116 of the Cuban Penal Code, which imposes penalties of 10 to 30 years, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty in the most serious cases.
The initial accusation was "invasion of military property," a charge that the legal organization Cubalex noted does not exist in the current Penal Code. The case was later reclassified under the offense of "revelation of secrets concerning State Security." Ceballos' family has indicated that the facility filmed had been deactivated in 2025.
The cameraman Christian Rodríguez Riverón was also arrested about two weeks after the comedian's arrest and is being held at the facility known as "El Reloj Club" in Boyeros, Havana, also facing charges of espionage.
On July 11, the regime transferred Ceballos at night from the Combinado del Este —a maximum-security prison— to the interrogation center known as "100 y Aldabó," preventing a scheduled family visit. His wife, Daniela Escarra, has publicly denounced that "they are breaking a family" and that the couple's young daughter is waiting for her father's return.
In the letter, Ceballos expresses gratitude for the support received and describes popular backing as a vital pillar: "Every publication, every gesture, every message provides light in the midst of so much darkness and pain."
The text concludes with a promise and an image that encapsulates the spirit of his work: "I hold onto the hope of meeting again to continue sharing the chronicles of the absurd in the streets of my beloved, pockmarked, and broken Havana. With faith and love intact, Eddy Ceballos."
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