The Cuban singer Dianelys Alfonso Cartaya, known artistically as La Diosa, issued a call on Thursday for Cubans on the island to support Anna Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente, at a time when both were facing a trial in the East Havana People's Municipal Court, in Cojímar.
“Don’t leave her alone. She is speaking for you and your family. Don’t leave her alone. You are feeling the same way she is. Stand up and support her,” the artist expressed in a video posted on Facebook.
From Miami, where she has been living since 2023, La Diosa appealed to the difficulties that Cubans face daily—among them, prolonged blackouts and the deterioration of living conditions—to emphasize that solidarity with Bensi should not be confined to social media.
"Today can be a great day if you want it to be. Now, if you just sit there, then you'll have a never-ending ordeal and will continue to live in darkness, you will continue as you live, you will continue with the undignified life you have," he stated.
The singer went so far as to compare the attitude of the young activist to the bravery historically associated in Cuba with Mariana Grajales and reiterated: "If you stay seated in your house and do not support her, the entire Cuban people, well, you know what is going to happen."
La Diosa also referred to the legal proceedings against Bensi and assured that the authorities had offered to drop the charges if she publicly retracted her videos.
"They also asked him to retract all his videos so that they could completely dismiss the lawsuit," he stated.
The artist also questioned the sanction requested against the young woman and stated, "They are asking for two years in prison for a woman who has simply expressed her thoughts." However, according to previously disclosed information about the process, the plaintiff's lawyer is requesting two years of restricted freedom for each of them.
A trial surrounded by surveillance and arrests
The case against Anna Bensi, 21, and her mother, Caridad Silvente, originated in March 2026, after both recorded and shared on social media the visit of Yoel Leodán Rabaza Ramos, a non-commissioned officer of the Ministry of the Interior, to their home in Alamar to deliver a summons from State Security.
Mother and daughter were accused of "acts against personal and family privacy" and have been under house arrest since March 25, with a prohibition on leaving the country.
Before appearing in court this Thursday, Bensi defended her right to express herself.
«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 disagree with the political system of our country; it is wrong, and that is not a crime,» she stated.
The trial is under the presidency of Judge Zamira Marrero Morgado, highlighted by activists for her involvement in cases against the 11-J demonstrators.
The day was also marked by a heavy police operation and reports of arrests and movement restrictions against activists and others who intended to reach the courthouse.
Among those detained were the Christian activist David Espinosa Martínez and the evangelical pastor Rolando Fidel Pérez Lora, known as the "Herald of Christ."
Members of the Fuera de la Caja Cuba collective reported that State Security agents monitored their homes and prevented them from leaving during part of the morning, while independent journalist Yoani Sánchez reported surveillance around her residence.
The call from La Diosa joined a wave of solidarity from Cuban artists, religious figures, and activists, including Andy Vázquez, Kristoff Kriollo, Claudia Artiles, and Claudia Valdés.
The Western Baptist Convention of Cuba also publicly expressed its support for mother and daughter with a message that echoed the plea made by La Diosa: "We cannot, we do not want to, and we are not going to leave them alone."
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