Cuban-American congressmen Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar, and Carlos A. Giménez spoke out in recent hours to denounce the trial against Anna Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente, held this Thursday at the People's Municipal Court of East Havana.
The three Republican lawmakers condemned the process as an expression of political repression in Cuba, demanded the unconditional freedom of both women, and warned about the consequences for those who continue to suppress the Cuban people.
The case originated in March 2026, when Anna Bensi —a 21-year-old influencer from Havana— and her mother recorded the visit of a non-commissioned officer from the Ministry of the Interior identified as Yoel Leodán Rabaza Ramos, who arrived in civilian clothes at their home in Alamar, with a summons from State Security.
The authorities accused them of "acts against personal and family privacy" under Article 393 of the Penal Code, which provides for penalties of two to five years in prison.
Since March 25, mother and daughter have been under house arrest with a prohibition on leaving the country.
Mario Díaz-Balart: "They will not go unpunished."
Díaz-Balart directly referenced the publication in which Anna Bensi announced the date of the trial. In his message on X, the congressman for FL-26 was emphatic.
"The criminal regime of Havana must immediately end the political persecution against Anna Bensi and her mother Caridad Silvente," he stated.
“It is unacceptable for the thugs of the dictatorship in Cuba to attempt to silence her for exercising her freedom of expression, and I warn all those who continue to repress the Cuban people that they will not go unpunished and will face serious consequences”, he added.
This is not the first time the legislator has expressed solidarity with the young woman: in March 2026, after learning about her house arrest, he had already referred to her as a "heroine."
María Elvira Salazar: "Anna and Caridad are not alone. The world is watching."
The congresswoman for FL-27, María Elvira Salazar, for her part, described the process as "a desperate act of a dying dictatorship trying to intimidate and silence the Cuban people."
His message was direct: «They can persecute Cubans. They can threaten them. They can put them on trial. But they will NEVER silence their demand for FREEDOM. Anna and Caridad are not alone. The world is watching.»
In March 2026, Salazar had already reported that "the entire repressive machinery" of the regime had turned against both women since the recording became public.
Carlos A. Giménez: "Unconditional Freedom"
The representative for FL-28, Carlos A. Giménez, joined the statements with a message under the hashtag #SOSCuba, in which he questioned the crime attributed to them.
“What is your 'crime'? Recording a regime repressor who arrived at your home with a summons from State Security. From the United States Congress, we denounce these human rights violations and demand your unconditional freedom,” he questioned.
A trial surrounded by repression
The regime deployed a large police operation around the courthouse to prevent the access of activists and journalists.
Anna Bensi herself described it before entering the room: "Since we woke up, there has been a police presence throughout the area. There are patrols, there are police officers, dozens of plainclothes officers."
Christian activist David Espinosa Martínez and evangelical pastor Rolando Fidel Pérez Lora, known as the "Herald of Christ," were arrested. The young members of the group Fuera de la Caja Cuba were besieged in their homes.
The process is presided over by Judge Zamira Marrero Morgado, noted for her involvement in the trials of July 11, in which protesters were sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
The voice of Anna Bensi
Before entering the courtroom, Anna Bensi stated to the people gathered around the area: "It's not fair, it's not fair, none of us are criminals. We are simply expressing through a screen, which is not a weapon, it’s a phone, what we think. We do not agree with the political system of our country, and that is not a crime," she added.
Days earlier, the young woman had already expressed her stance with a phrase that circulated widely on social media: "I will not be silenced."
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