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 proclaims his innocence and denounces an alleged plot of police and judicial corruption in Baracoa.
The video was posted on Facebook by the former political prisoner José Daniel Ferrer García, founder and leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (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 may know whether he is telling the truth or lying.”
The complaint that led him to prison
"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 not violated or threatened anyone," the detainee 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, 23 years old.
After being detained for six days at the Baracoa police unit, he was transferred to Paso de Cuba without having been formally charged or questioned, a situation that allegedly lasted for almost three months.
The alleged plot to attack him inside the prison
Weeks after her admission, Yaima Durán arrived at the correctional facility accompanied by the instructor Dayan and Rudy, whom Kenneth identifies as the head of the Police.
The visit was ostensibly to see her uncle Nano, who was also incarcerated there.
However, what Nano revealed to him afterwards was very different: Yaima would have offered money to hire other inmates with the aim of attacking or killing Kenneth.
“I escaped because I felt threatened in prison and afraid,” he declared.
The next day, he reported the situation to Lieutenant Colonel Gamboa and the deputy chief of the prison.
Not receiving a response and feeling in danger, he made the decision to escape.
The evidence he claims to have
From the mount, Estévez Lobaina claims to have material that would demonstrate a bribery network orchestrated by his ex-girlfriend.
“I have evidence: videos, calls, and messages”, she stated; and elaborated that these communications would implicate instructor Dayan, police chief Rudy, her brother Chito, and prosecutor Harrington, to whom Yaima would have offered money to keep him detained.
It also asserts that Melanie herself attempted to go to the Baracoa Police alongside Kenneth's mother to declare that she was never touched or threatened, but the officers refused to take her statement.
"To show you the kind of corruption that exists here in Baracoa. And I'm not the only one. There are many others going through the same or worse, because they are all corrupt, they're all an organized mass," he denounced.
Your request: That prosecutors in Havana investigate
Estévez Lobaina does not ask for impunity.
Their request is for authorities outside of Baracoa to review their file.
“Let prosecutors from Havana, from wherever, come and examine my case,” he demanded and added: “When my case is thoroughly analyzed, if I have 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 the province of Guantánamo.
The context is not isolated: Cubalex reported 762 incidents against 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 divided comments
Numerous comments expressed empathy, albeit with nuances.
Several users found consistency in the account: "The kid expresses himself very well and with great coherence; he is only asking for 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 rushing to 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 they can also prosecute you for the escape, even if you are trying to prove your innocence."
Several users agreed on calling for caution: “To make a judgment, one must understand what both sides claim and examine the evidence from each.”
As of the publication of this report, there is no additional information regarding the case.
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