A man identified as Kenneth Estévez Lobaina, known as "Kenito," escaped from the Paso de Cuba prison in the province of Guantánamo and recorded a video from the mountains in which he declares his innocence and denounces an alleged scheme of police and judicial corruption in Baracoa.
The video was posted on Facebook by former political prisoner José Daniel Ferrer García, founder and leader of the Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU), who has been living in Miami since October 2025 after being exiled from Cuba.
Ferrer accompanied the post with this text: «He escapes from prison and claims from the mountains that he is innocent. If you live in Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba, you might know whether he is telling the truth or lying.»
The complaint that led to his imprisonment
"My name is Kenneth Estévez Lobaina, better known as Kenito. I am a fugitive from the Paso de Cuba prison for several reasons. One of them is that I maintain that I have neither violated nor threatened anyone," the detained individual stated at the beginning of the video.
According to Estévez Lobaina himself, it all began on June 5, when his ex-girlfriend, Yaima Durán, reported him to the Baracoa Police for threats and for the alleged sexual assault of her daughter Melanie, who is 23 years old.
After being detained for six days at the Baracoa police unit, he was transferred to Paso de Cuba without being formally charged or questioned, a situation that reportedly lasted nearly three months.
The alleged plot to attack him inside the prison
Weeks after her admission, Yaima Durán arrived at the correctional facility accompanied by instructor Dayan and Rudy, whom Kenneth identifies as the head of the Police.
The visit served as an excuse to see her uncle Nano, who was also incarcerated there.
However, what Nano revealed to him later was very different: Yaima would have offered money to hire other inmates with the aim of beating or killing Kenneth.
“I escaped because I felt threatened in prison and scared,” he stated.
The next day, he informed Lieutenant Colonel Gamboa and the deputy chief of the prison about the situation.
Upon receiving no response and feeling endangered, he made the decision to escape.
The evidence he claims to have
From the mountain, Estévez Lobaina claims to have material that would demonstrate a bribery network orchestrated by his ex-girlfriend.
“I have evidence: videos, calls, and messages”, he stated; and he detailed that these communications would involve the instructor Dayan, the police chief Rudy, his brother Chito, and the prosecutor Harrington, to whom Yaima allegedly offered money to keep him in detention.
It also claims that Melanie herself tried to go to the Baracoa Police with Kenneth's mother to testify that she was never touched or threatened, but the officers refused to take her statement.
“To show you what kind of corruption exists here in Baracoa. And I’m not the only one. There are many others who are going through the same thing as I am, or even worse, because they are all corrupt, they are all an organized mass,” he reported.
His request: For prosecutors in Havana to investigate
Estévez Lobaina is not asking for impunity.
Their demand is for authorities outside of Baracoa to review their case file.
“Let prosecutors from Havana, from wherever, come and analyze my case,” he demanded, adding: “When my case is thoroughly analyzed, if I need to turn myself in, I will turn myself in.”
"Justice is what I want to be done," concluded the fugitive from somewhere in the mountains of Guantánamo province.
The context is not isolated: Cubalex reported 762 incidents involving individuals deprived of liberty in Cuba during the first half of 2026, including abuses and other irregularities that indicate a systematic pattern within the penitentiary system.
The reaction on social media: over 1,300 mixed comments
Numerous comments showed empathy, though with nuances.
Several users found consistency in the story: "The kid expresses himself very well and coherently; he is not asking for anything more than justice," wrote one.
Another pointed out: "In Cuba, there is no justice for anyone; corruption is present in all institutions."
Others acknowledged the complexity without passing judgment: "He shouldn't have fled, but if he truly feared for his life, I understand why he did."
Some warned about the legal consequences: "Now you can be prosecuted for the escape, even if you are trying to prove your innocence."
Several users agreed in urging caution: “To judge, one must understand what both sides are claiming and review the evidence from each.”
As of the closing of this note, there is no additional information regarding the case.
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