The Cuban regime has once again revealed its most repressive nature. Young pediatrician Erlis Sierra Gómez, detained following peaceful protests in Baire, Santiago de Cuba, was coerced by State Security into recording a video of contrition and recantation, where he read a script clearly imposed upon him under duress. The footage, anonymously shared in the buy-and-sell group “Revolico Baire,” showed Sierra with a nervous demeanor, a fixed gaze, and a tense expression while he repeated phrases crafted to cleanse the regime’s image and discredit the protests that shook eastern Cuba last week.
“I, Erlis Sierra Gómez, who was present at the social demand, inform through this medium that I have not been mistreated either physically or verbally... Understanding that it was not the way to demand our rights, that it should be done with respectful dialogue to not divide our people,” the young man stated, struggling through the reading. Sources close to the case, as cited on social media by journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, claimed the video was recorded under coercion after hours of interrogation by State Security in Santiago de Cuba.
“It doesn’t take much analysis to notice that Erlis isn’t speaking freely, but rather reading from a script likely written by the very agents who unjustly detained him,” Mayeta Labrada denounced on Facebook. “These practices demonstrate the desperation of the repressive apparatus to control the narrative while the people continue to denounce abuses and censorship,” he added.
Coercion and Control: A Systematic Approach
The journalist, who has closely followed the case from the start, additionally stated that other detainees, including nurse Humberto Nieto Sierra, were also forced to make similar videos. “My sources from the communist ranks tell me that Erlis Sierra and Humberto Nieto Sierra have been forced to make recantation videos that will soon be released,” Mayeta Labrada assured.
The full transcript of the video confirms the submissive tone and language foreign to the doctor’s usual way of speaking, who days before had stood firmly in front of local authorities in Contramaestre, demanding solutions to the shortages of water, food, and electricity. On that occasion, Sierra Gómez expressed with calmness and bravery: “Here in the Constitution, I have freedom of expression.”
His arrest, which occurred on Friday following the “cacerolazo” in Baire, sparked a wave of solidarity both inside and outside the island. Thousands of Cubans shared the hashtag #FreeErlisSierra, demanding his immediate release and an end to the repression. The young man's mother, Ania Gómez Leiva, was also briefly detained after posting a video pleading for help from the people of Cuba. “My son didn’t bang any pots or assault anyone; he just demanded solutions for the people,” she declared before being released.
Forced Confessions as a Tool of Political Control
Opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer from the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) reacted to the video’s release with a strong message: “This demonstrates that denunciations and solidarity do work. They pressured them to make these kinds of statements because they want to scare and calm the people, because the tyranny is afraid. They want to send them home scared and obedient... The tyranny will lose anyway. Let no one be discouraged.”
Human rights organizations consulted by CiberCuba have noted that forced recantation videos are a common practice of Cuban State Security, used to intimidate protesters and project an image of control to the public. In Sierra Gómez's case, the setup seems to follow the same pattern: a coerced recording, devoid of freedom, distributed in local channels to manipulate public perception.
This episode adds to a long list of repressive actions following the protests on October 16 and 17 in Baire, when dozens of residents shouted “Freedom!” and “Down with Díaz-Canel!” during a blackout lasting over 30 hours. Despite the regime’s attempts to impose silence, Erlis’s voice—even when coerced—has become a symbol of civil courage. Every phrase he once freely spoke, especially that “in the Constitution I have freedom of expression,” continues to resonate throughout Cuba as a reminder that dignity cannot be compromised or extinguished by fear.
Understanding Cuba's Repressive Tactics
What are the implications of forced recantation videos in Cuba?
Forced recantation videos are used by the Cuban regime as a tool for political control, aiming to intimidate protesters and project an image of compliance. These videos are a psychological tactic to instill fear and discourage public dissent.
How do these practices affect public perception in Cuba?
These practices are designed to manipulate public perception by promoting a narrative of control and compliance. They attempt to discredit protests by presenting them as misguided or manipulated, thus discouraging further dissent.
What has been the international reaction to these tactics?
International human rights organizations have condemned these tactics as violations of free expression and have called for increased awareness and pressure on the Cuban government to cease such oppressive measures.