The popular Cuban actor Armando Tomey, an exile and critic of the regime, dedicated an emotional message to Anna Bensi after she and her mother were sentenced in Havana, asserting that the young woman has, in his view, become a symbol of resistance against repression in Cuba.
In a video posted on Facebook, Tomey appeared outdoors under a rainy sky and turned to the butterfly, national flower of Cuba, to express his sadness about what had happened.
"The day has dawned very sad and rainy. The butterfly, our national flower, is withered," the actor began, making his metaphor very clear.
"It’s as if we all realize that a great injustice has been committed in the world. And indeed, a great injustice has been done to you, Anna,” the actor continued, who accompanied the video with the statement: “The world is in mourning. The truth and hope have been violated with brute force”.
Tomey attacked the Cuban authorities and attributed the judicial process to Bensi's decision to publicly express his opinions and confront official pressures.
"Because that terrible dictatorship, that repressive dictatorship, cannot accept that a brave woman like you speaks the truth and resists living in slavery," he stated.
The most powerful moment of his message came when he contrasted the court ruling with the impact that, in his opinion, the case will have on those who participated in the process: “Anna, they condemn you, but you condemn them to eternal disgrace.”
The actor later elevated the comparison with the Cuban national flower, an idea that was also reflected in the text placed over the video: «Police against a flower. Truth against cruelty».
«You are our national flower, you are the symbol of resistance and the struggle for the freedom and dignity of each one, of all Cubans,» Tomey expressed.
"With women like you, our Cuba will undoubtedly be free. We love you, Anna, we stand with you. Long live a free Cuba," he concluded.
The statement came a day after the People's Municipal Court of Havana East found Anna Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente, guilty of the crime of "acts against personal and family privacy."
Both were sentenced to two years of restricted freedom for recording and sharing on social media a video of an agent from the Ministry of the Interior who came to their home in Alamar.
The judicial day was also marked by a strong police presence. Bensi arrived at the court to applause and reported surveillance and the presence of numerous agents, while arrests and restrictions were reported against people trying to accompany mother and daughter.
The process sparked a widespread wave of solidarity both inside and outside of Cuba. Cuban artists, influencers, and religious figures publicly expressed their support, including La Diosa, Andy Vázquez, Claudia Artiles, Claudia Valdés, and Kristoff Kriollo.
During Thursday itself, Diana Fuentes stated she is "completely on the side of Anna and her mother", while Haydée Milanés described the process as a "senseless trial" and expressed her confidence that "justice will come" to Cuba.
Also, Sor Nadieska Almeida and Father Lester Zayas were among those who managed to approach the court to support the accused.
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