Amelia Calzadilla Exposes Regime's Harassment and Staged Surveillance as She Leaves Cuba with Her Children: "They Are Despicable Beings"

Cuban activist Amelia Calzadilla has exposed a chilling account of harassment and surveillance orchestrated by Cuba's State Security as she departed the country with her three children. Through a powerful statement shared on social media, she specifically accused a known enforcer, referred to as "El Denis," and other agents who trailed her all the way to the airport. "They sent me photos attempting to blackmail or intimidate me," she stated, highlighting the presence of a man in a blue or green coat persistently trying to separate her from her group. This individual, she asserted, was the same who detained her in June 2023 and frequently visited her home for intimidation purposes.

Calzadilla detailed how those surrounding her feigned friendliness towards her and her children, only to later manipulate images to discredit her. "It seems they were setting up a smear campaign," she noted, maintaining composure for her children's sake despite the airport staff's awareness of the situation. "I tried to keep them from feeling scared and avoided making a scene in front of them."

Critically, she condemned the regime's operatives as "extremely despicable and vile," accusing them of inflicting psychological harm with cruelty. She declared, "The naivety I had in Cuba stayed there. Let them bring it on, because I won't tire or surrender; they'll have to kill me. To their minions, I say they can threaten all they want—I know what I'm doing and what I want."

Her testimony found support in fellow Cuban activist Osmani Pardo Guerra, who experienced a similar ordeal with his wife. "What they did to Amelia, they did to us on May 8, 2023. The same State Security enforcer, El Denis, along with others, was at the airport, pulling us from the line while recording and photographing us until we boarded," he recounted.

Osmani's brother, Osmar Pardo Guerra, expanded on the harassment: "What Amelia endured, so did my brother and his wife. They were pulled from the boarding line, filmed and photographed like criminals, in front of me and hundreds of onlookers who questioned why." He described their family as targets of systematic persecution for daring to be different: "From threatening phone calls, constant surveillance at our homes, arbitrary interrogations, to psychological harassment against our mother, a cancer patient. They’ve sought to silence, suffocate, and dehumanize us."

Resolutely, he added, "But we won't be silenced. What they've done is unforgettable. We'll continue to denounce every act of repression... Full support for all families of political prisoners and those persecuted, like ours, who've endured humiliation, abuse, mistreatment, and verbal harassment solely for desiring a free and just country."

Calzadilla's post garnered countless messages of support and additional testimonies confirming the recurrence of such oppressive tactics. Among the most striking was that of activist Thais Franco: "They did the same to me—photos, videos, separating me from my child to record and intimidate me, reminding me I had two children still in Cuba. Thank God you left with all your babies; many of us weren't that lucky. The dictatorship is a murderous, diabolical machine. I'm sorry you and your little ones went through such a torturous ordeal. No mother should endure that."

A Story of Persecution and Resilience

Amelia Calzadilla left Cuba in November 2023 with her children, joining her husband who awaited them in Spain. Her departure followed a series of arrests, judicial pressures, and surveillance. In January of the same year, she reported being prohibited from returning to Cuba and was subjected to a defamation campaign falsely linking her to a protest against the Ladies in White. In April, she revealed a near-death experience during her third childbirth due to medical negligence in Cuba.

Currently residing in Spain, she continues her activism through the group Ciudadanía y Libertad. In February, she participated in a meeting with Mike Hammer, the head of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Cuba.