The U.S. Embassy in Cuba expressed its support this Thursday for Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente (Anna Bensi) and her mother, Caridad Silvente, coinciding with the day of the trial that they both are facing in Havana.
The message was brief, direct, and sufficient to clarify the position of the diplomatic mission: “Thinking differently is not a crime”.
The post, consisting of just six words, comes amid a legal process that has generated widespread support for mother and daughter, as well as reports of surveillance, movement restrictions, and arrests of individuals who attempted to attend the court.
But the statement made this Thursday is not an isolated gesture; on the contrary. The support from the U.S. Embassy and its head of mission, Mike Hammer, towards Bensi and Silvente has been consistent over the past few months.
In March, the diplomatic representation publicly questioned the summons and threats against both of them.
The Embassy then demanded that the Cuban authorities cease intimidating them and inquired why they were being summoned and threatened.
In April, Mike Hammer personally visited Anna Bensi and Caridad Silvente at their home in Alamar, while both were under house arrest.
The embassy itself reported the meeting, and Hammer said that the mother and daughter had directly explained to him the situation they were facing.
One day later, another report about that meeting indicated that Hammer had gone to see them amid the pressures denounced by both against State Security.
The connection continued in May when Hammer met again with Bensi, this time along with members of the youth project Fuera de la Caja Cuba.
The Embassy explained that its diplomats had met with young people advocating for their right to freedom of expression and wanted to share their aspirations for Cuba.
On that occasion, the diplomatic mission stated that “the youth will determine the future of the country”.
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