The trial against Anna Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente, scheduled to take place this Thursday at the Municipal People's Court of East Havana, has sparked a massive wave of solidarity on social media, led by Cuban artists, influencers, and religious figures, who have expressed their support for the two women and, in several cases, condemned the persecution by the Cuban authorities.
The case originated in March 2026, when Anna Bensi—a 21-year-old young woman—and her mother recorded and posted on social media the visit of a MININT officer who arrived in civilian clothes at their home with a summons from State Security.
The authorities accused them of "acts against personal and family privacy," with sentences ranging from two to five years in prison.
Since March 25, both have been under house arrest and prohibited from leaving the country.
Last week, Anna Bensi made her stance clear: "I will not be silenced", and she claimed that she would record again the video that started the whole process.
The Goddess: "That is what the dictatorship fears."
One of the most powerful voices in recent hours has been that of the singer La Diosa, who published a video on Facebook urging people to flood social media with the case.
"They are asking for a two-year prison sentence for a woman who simply expressed her thoughts. It's the same old story that all of us Cubans know about the dictatorship," he stated.
The singer also stated that the authorities offered to drop the charges in exchange for a public retraction: "They also asked him to retract all of his videos in order to completely drop the lawsuit."
The artist appealed to the entire Cuban community: “You, even if you have three followers, it’s important that you speak about this.” And she concluded with a direct call: “Down with the dictatorship, down with Díaz-Canel, down with Raúl, down with the Castros. Long live a Free Cuba!”
Andy Vázquez: a message for those who "do the dirty work"
The Christian comedian Andy Vázquez took a different angle in his video on Instagram: instead of addressing the accused, he pointed directly at those involved in the process.
"My message is for the people who will be there doing that harm to those two women, to those two innocents that they all know are innocent, playing along and doing the dirty work for those who don't have the courage to stand in front of her, look her in the eyes, and debate with the truth," he stated.
Vázquez cited Isaiah 10:1-2 —"Woe to those who decree unjust laws and write oppressive decrees to deprive the poor of justice"— and recalled the case of the so-called "Judge Melody," who was deported from the United States following her actions in Cuba.
The process is presided over by Judge Zamira Marrero Morgado, who has been pointed out by activists for her involvement in the trials against demonstrators from July 11th.
Kristoff Kriollo, Claudia Artiles, and Claudia Valdés
The influencer Kristoff Kriollo published a video in which he rejected passivity in the face of repression: "These kinds of things cannot go unnoticed, as if nothing happened. We can't just say: 'Look, the poor thing got pregnant,' and move on."
The influencer Claudia Artiles expressed her solidarity on Facebook: "Thinking differently and expressing our ideas should not become a reason for persecution. Today, my message is one of solidarity, humanity, and hope. May they be free."
The actress Claudia Valdés described the case on Instagram as "one of the injustices taking place in Cuba, one of many," and characterized it as "horrible" that a 21-year-old woman could face imprisonment for recording a MININT agent who showed up in plain clothes at her own home.
Iglesias and the regime's siege
The support transcended entertainment. The religious Sister Nadieska Almeida called on Christians to accompany mother and daughter through prayer and physical presence, while the Baptist Convention of Western Cuba united in support of both with a strong statement: “We cannot, we do not want to, and we will not leave them alone.”
As social media filled with messages of support, activists and independent journalists reported the day before that Cuban authorities were conducting surveillance operations to prevent them from approaching the courthouse.
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