The Cuban content creator Michel Coto Alayón, known on social media as Michel Crónicas, reported a death threat containing xenophobic content to the Puebla Prosecutor's Office, which he received via email. In the message, an unknown individual demanded that he leave Mexico along with other Cubans.
"Get out of my country or I will locate you for sure," says part of the message, which then threatens to kill him and attacks "the other Cubans."
According to El Sol de Puebla, the email arrived at 1:21 AM on August 30 at the public address that Michel uses for his YouTube channel. The message had a single-word subject: "Cuba."
The YouTuber decided to make the threat public on September 4 through a video on his YouTube channel, where he explained that he initially hesitated on how to react, but ultimately deemed it something very different from the usual attacks he receives online.
"I'm not talking about a typical hater comment that one finds on social media [...] This did raise a red flag for me because it's not a public message," he explained.
Michel, who has been living in Mexico for about a decade and obtained citizenship in that country, believes that the message has a clear xenophobic component against Cubans.
"It's the first time in my life that I've received an email with such a clear threat," he stated.
Despite the concern generated by the message, she assured that she does not intend to stop living her daily life.
"I will continue to go to shopping malls, to have coffee, to dine, to live, to be at peace, to enjoy those things that were denied to me for almost three decades in my country," he expressed.
Michel brought the case to the Prosecutor's Office
After numerous followers advised him not to ignore what had happened, Michel contacted the Cyber Police of the State of Puebla, where he received guidance on how to proceed and obtained a case number.
Subsequently, he went to the Attorney General's Office of the State of Puebla with his identification, proof of residence, email screenshots, and a written account of what happened.
According to his account, he was referred to the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Sexual Crimes and Cyberbullying, where he gave a statement, provided documentation, placed his fingerprint, and signed the relevant documents. As part of the process, he will also have to undergo a psychological assessment.
"I believe we cannot overlook this fact. It is a real threat, a death threat, and we do not know what the true intentions are behind this threat," he mentioned in another video published on his YouTube channel.
The content creator insisted that he decided to go to the authorities because he does not know who is behind the email or how far their intentions might reach.
"An apparently innocent threat can turn into a bigger problem," she warned.
The case comes amid reports of episodes of xenophobia against Cubans in Mexico. In places with a significant presence of migrants from the island, such as Cancun, organizations have raised alarms about verbal assaults, difficulties in renting homes, and discriminatory messages.
Michel resides in Puebla and previously worked in the state DIF system. His channel Michel Crónicas is dedicated, among other topics, to showcasing aspects of his life in Mexico and comparing experiences between that country and Cuba.
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