The journalist Alejandra García, partner of the director of La Hora de Cuba, Henry Constantín, described this Sunday the emotional state of the communicator, who has been in pre-trial detention for over two weeks at the maximum-security prison Kilo 7 in Camagüey.
"He remains calm and is confident in his convictions and beliefs.", García stated to Martí Noticias.
Constantín was arrested on September 16 when he attended a verbal summons at a unit of the National Police in Camagüey. The formal charge is for “disobedience,” related to a migration summons from September 9 which, according to the authorities, he did not attend.
The journalist, however, published that same day that he did go to the Immigration office in Vista Hermosa, where the agents had already left and informed him that he would receive a new summons.
García rejected the official version and linked the imprisonment directly to his partner's work: "In the end, it's a form of pressure because he dares to speak the truth, because he fights for his beliefs, for a free Cuba."
The family is awaiting a response this Tuesday regarding the complaint filed concerning the request for a change in the precautionary measure. "He is waiting to hear next Tuesday whether the complaint to change the precautionary measure will be accepted or not," García specified, adding that, according to the defense attorney, the trial could take place soon, although no date has been set yet.
The journalist has also sent messages to the outside through his partner. In one of them, he expressed: "I am calm and remain determined." García also conveyed his gratitude: "He appreciates the support and concern for his family very much."
Both the family and the team of La Hora de Cuba issued a call for the case to remain in the public eye. "We ask that his case continues to be highlighted, that it doesn't become just another case," García emphasized.
The detention has sparked widespread international condemnation. Reporters Without Borders demanded the immediate release of the journalist and documented that this is at least his 19th detention related to his journalistic work. The Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press recorded 26 violations against Constantín between December 2024 and September 2026, including eight arbitrary arrests. Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Civil Rights Defenders also demanded his release.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Juan Pablo Segura, condemned the imprisonment at the end of September: “The Cuban regime has unjustly detained independent journalist Henry Constantin simply for reporting the truth and revealing abuses.” Segura added that “the Trump administration will continue to denounce the horrific crimes of this dictatorship, demanding accountability and supporting the Cuban people, who deserve to free themselves from tyranny.”
The statement is part of a broader campaign by Washington for individuals who are arbitrarily detained in Cuba, which includes similar calls in favor of dissident Félix Navarro, musician Maykel Osorbo, and activist Saylí Navarro.
Constantín, who has been banned from leaving Cuban territory since 2019, was unable to travel to Stockholm last May to receive the "Civil Rights Defender of the Year 2026" award that Civil Rights Defenders presented to La Hora de Cuba. Cuba ranks 160 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
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