The U.S. Department of State has spoken out against the arrest of Cuban youths, Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina, who are part of the audiovisual project El4tico.
"The illegitimate Cuban regime continues its daily acts of repression and abuse," stated the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the State Department on X.
"They arrested El4tico's Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina in Holguín just for exposing the dictatorship's poor economic management."
El4tico, an opposition platform originating in Holguín, allows Medina and Zayas to challenge the authorities from a small room transformed into a studio, blending analysis and sociopolitical critiques of the Cuban reality.
With thousands of followers online, El4tico stands as one of the most prominent alternative voices within Cuba.
The arrest of these young activists occurred during a police raid where authorities confiscated computers, phones, cameras, and other equipment they used to document their efforts.
According to the platform Citizenship and Freedom, they were taken to the Holguín Penal Instruction Center, infamously known as "Everyone Sings," a location criticized for its violent interrogation practices and degrading treatment.
Legal Action for the Detained
This past Wednesday, activist Yanet Rodríguez Sánchez filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of El4tico members at the Provincial Court of Holguín.
Citizenship and Freedom reported on Facebook that the document was officially recorded and stamped with reference RE91.
"This legal action demands that the court request official information from the Penal Instruction regarding the young men's status: their exact location, the formal charges under which they are detained, their assigned case number, and the material conditions of their detention," the note adds.
Wave of Solidarity
Activists and social media users have shown solidarity with the detained under the hashtag #TodosSomosEl4tico.
Various public figures, including Luis Alberto García and Ulises Toirac, have called for the respect of Zayas' and Medina's human rights and their release.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba has also demanded their immediate release.
The arrests occur amid a national backdrop of power outages, inflation, mass migration, and social unrest, where any dissenting voice is perceived as a threat and treated as a security issue rather than a legitimate exercise of expression.
Understanding the Arrest of El4tico Members
Who are Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina?
Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina are young Cuban activists involved in the El4tico project, which critiques the Cuban government from a sociopolitical perspective.
What is El4tico?
El4tico is a dissident platform based in Holguín, Cuba, where activists conduct analyses and sociopolitical critiques, challenging the Cuban regime's authority.
What legal actions have been taken for their release?
Activist Yanet Rodríguez Sánchez has filed a habeas corpus petition at the Provincial Court of Holguín to demand official information about the detained activists and their conditions.