The independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada publicly condemned that two police officers appeared on Tuesday at the home of his relatives in the Altamira neighborhood, Santiago de Cuba, in what he described as an act of harassment related to his journalistic work.
According to a report on Facebook, the officers -dressed in blue and riding a motorcycle- inquired about a person named "Pedro Mayeta," claiming that "the Mayetas lived there."
The spokesperson denied that version: "In my family, Mayeta, which is not originally from Altamira but from Nuevo Vista Alegre, I am not aware of any relative named Pedro Mayeta, let alone someone with that name who is being sought by the Police."
Mayeta's brother—who does not share her last name as they have different fathers—made it clear to them what happened. "The authorities know exactly who lived in that house: Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, and they are fully aware that I no longer live there."
The reporter explicitly held the authorities of Santiago de Cuba, the Communist Party, and the organs of the Ministry of Interior (MININT) responsible for any acts of intimidation against his family. "If they are looking for someone, they should explain who they are looking for, why they are looking for them, and why they are arriving specifically at the house where I lived for years," he demanded.
He also questioned the priorities of the Santiago police: "They know where to find people reported for thefts, scams, and other crimes that directly affect the community. However, many families feel that in the face of these cases, attention is diverted elsewhere, while agents appear asking questions in homes linked to those of us who have publicly denounced the dictatorship."
This episode adds to a series of pressures that have intensified in recent weeks.
To his father, Agustín Mayeta Pérez, a senior man residing in Santiago de Cuba, several medications were prescribed that are not available in state pharmacies, and it was recommended to obtain them in the informal market.
“Look for it outside,” was the response received during the medical consultation.
In May, Mayeta already reporteddirect threats via WhatsApp from Cuba with the message "We will come to your house at 10:00 in the morning," after publishing investigations about a fatal accident in the Santa Bárbara neighborhood of that city.
The pattern of harassment towards the families of independent journalists in Cuba has been documented in 2026 by organizations such as Amnesty International, the Inter-American Press Association (SIP), Cubalex, and the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP). The latter reported in July at least 12 instances of retaliation due to family or affectionate ties, a method that experts describe as "vicarious repression": pressuring the critical communicator through their loved ones.
Mayeta, who has been residing in the United States since 2019 and formally joined Martí Noticias at the end of July, warned that she will not give in to pressure: "If the goal is to instill fear, they chose the wrong family and the wrong Mayeta."
And he sent a direct message to those who ordered the operation: "My family should not pay the consequences of my journalistic work. If the problem is with me, you know my name very well and know where I live."
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