A mother of six children has reportedly been detained in Holguín under an alleged charge of usurpation after occupying, along with her husband and four of her minor children, a state-owned space that was no longer in use, due to the precarious conditions of the family's housing.
The complaint was made this Wednesday on Facebook by the Holguin activist Ernesto Almaguer Díaz, who identified the woman as A.M.G. and claimed that she was detained days ago.
According to Almaguer's account, the woman is the mother of six children and, at the time of her arrest, was living with four minors and her husband in some former state offices known in the area as the Construction Materials Sales Point, in the Hilda Torres neighborhood.
Almaguer stated that the state property was abandoned when the family decided to occupy it and that they had been living there for over a year.
According to their account, they used to live on the Rina Pacheco lot, behind the Provincial Patrol Unit of Holguín, in a house that had serious structural issues.
The activist linked the decision to settle in the location with the conditions of that residence and stated that the mother had previously made claims to obtain housing solutions.
He also stated that the family property had suffered a collapse and remained in dangerous conditions.
After the detention, the four minors would have been placed in the care of their father. Almaguer stated that they are currently back in the family home, which he described as at risk of collapse and lacking basic conditions for the children.
The complainant also stated that the woman remains detained and separated from her twin daughters and two other minors who depended on her.
He also confirmed that neighbors from the community where the family previously lived reject the detention.
Almaguer described the authorities' actions as "arbitrary" and publicly called for the mother's release.
He also suggested, without providing official confirmation, that the old premises might be intended for another use and linked this situation to actions taken against the family.
The unauthorized occupation of other people's homes and premises is classified in Cuba as a crime of usurpation, regulated by Article 421 of Law 151 of 2022, Penal Code.
The official explanation of that provision states that the basic mode may be punished with six months to two years of imprisonment, a fine of 200 to 500 units, or both.
The legislation, however, includes an aggravated form that can involve penalties of two to five years, among other scenarios when there is force involved, violence, or intimidation against individuals.
Cuban authorities have strengthened measures against this type of occupation in recent years.
In January 2025, the application of immediate evictions in response to certain illegal occupations of homes and state premises was announced, under the provisions of the Penal Code and the Opinion 471 of the Government Council of the People's Supreme Court.
The official treatment of the crime of usurpation indicates that the illegal occupation or seizure of property must be verified within the corresponding criminal process and distinguishes penalties according to the circumstances of the act.
Holguín has already reported housing conflicts with similar characteristics.
In 2023, a mother and her two children were evicted from a state facility in Sagua de Tánamo which, as the woman reported at the time, she had occupied after her home collapsed and she did not receive assistance to rebuild it.
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