Kamil Zayas Pérez, one of the founders of the independent audiovisual project El4tico, celebrates his birthday this Saturday from the Provincial Prison of Holguín, where he has been incarcerated for 184 days by the Cuban regime.
This was recalled by Doris Sant Bat in a Facebook post, who also noted that the other member of the duo, Ernesto Ricardo Medina, will celebrate his birthday on August 18, also imprisoned.
Both young men were arrested on February 6, 2026, at their homes in Holguín during an operation by State Security and the Police, which included home searches and the confiscation of their work equipment: laptop, camera, phone, tripod, and router.
The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Holguín charges them with the alleged crimes of "propaganda against the constitutional order" and "incitement to commit a crime," charges that can carry up to nine years of imprisonment.
The operation was marked from the beginning by irregularities: the agents refused to show the search warrant when Medina requested it, and the procedure was carried out without eyewitnesses, in violation of Law No. 143 "On Criminal Procedure."
After undergoing detention at the police unit known as "Everybody Sings," both were transferred to the Provincial Prison of Holguín at the end of March. A habeas corpus petition filed on their behalf was rejected by the Provincial Court.
Last Wednesday, the human rights organization Cubalex denounced the violation of due process and demanded the release of both individuals, warning that "the extension of preventive detention for six months without a fiscal request or a trial date raises concerns about the procedural guarantees for both young people."
The situation of Medina also included an additional pressure: his mother revealed in April that State Security demanded he record a video of repentance and retraction, which he refused. Cubalex described this practice as "incompatible with respect for freedom of conscience and the right not to be forced to incriminate oneself or to make statements under coercion."
Despite the confinement, Kamil has maintained a public stance of resistance. Just two weeks after his arrest, he sent a message from prison that spread widely: “What began as a humble little place has been turned into a large house. It has been worth it. Do not give up. Let’s now build a village, one that is just and good. We count on you. Long live Cuba Digna.”
In June, she also sent a handwritten letter from prison in which she denounced the situation in Cuba, criticized the political regression, and urged citizens not to give up their rights.
El4tico is an audiovisual project that emerged in Holguín in 2024, producing sociopolitical analysis and critique of Cuban reality. Before the detention of its creators, it had amassed around 80,000 followers on Instagram.
On Friday, a day before Kamil's birthday, the United States Embassy in Cuba publicly demanded the immediate release of the two founders of El4tico and all political prisoners on the island.
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