Family members of Cuban youths associated with the digital project "Outside the Box" have reported facing intimidation from State Security agents. They describe this as an attempt to pressure content creators who criticize the government from within the island.
An audio shared on social media features the father of Amanda Beatriz Andrés Navarro, one of the group's members, recounting how two Ministry of the Interior (MININT) agents approached him at his workplace. They warned him about his daughter's activities and those of other young people involved in the project.
"They want to imprison us, and now they're using our families to threaten us," expressed Amanda as she recounted her father's encounter with the officials.
According to her father's testimony, the agents accused the youths of "committing crimes, inciting constitutional disorder, and encouraging delinquency," threatening imprisonment if they continued their activities.
The father defended the youths, asserting their right to free expression. "These young people are simply engaging in educational work. As a new generation, they have every right to think differently and are not committing any crime," he declared. He also expressed pride in them, reiterating that no country should have prisoners of conscience or political prisoners.
"Living in freedom means defending convictions without needing them to be the same," Amanda Beatriz added after sharing the audio. She also denounced the lack of freedom in Cuba, stating these retaliations are evidence of such deprivation.
Who Are the "Outside the Box" Youth?
The "Outside the Box" project consists of four young individuals from Havana: Amanda Beatriz Andrés Navarro (20 years old), Abel Alejandro Andrés Navarro (22), Mauro Reigosa Pérez (20), and Karel Daniel Hernández Bosques (20). From the Cerro municipality, they create political content on social media, analyzing the country's reality and promoting public debate and critical thinking.
In interviews, the group has explained that their initiative aims to foster a civic culture based on individual freedom and personal judgment, in a political context where public debate is often limited.
They identify as liberals or libertarians and advocate for structural changes in Cuba, including greater economic freedom, respect for individual rights, and a society open to political discussion.
A New Generation Speaks Out Online
This group is part of a new generation of political content creators in Cuba. These young individuals have found a platform on the Internet to voice their criticisms of the country's situation, which is plagued by blackouts, inflation, shortages, and low wages.
According to a report by the Spanish newspaper El País, many of these influencers are just over 20 years old and utilize platforms like Instagram or YouTube to candidly discuss corruption, censorship, food scarcity, and the challenges of living on the island.
Amid Cuba's severe economic crisis, these creators have become some of the most visible faces of youthful dissent within the country, despite the surveillance and pressures they face from the authorities.
Pressure and Risk of Reprisals
The members of "Outside the Box" have acknowledged that State Security has visited them to identify and warn them of the consequences of their activities, which they consider a form of intimidation.
In Cuba, laws such as Decree-Law 370 and Decree-Law 35 allow sanctions for online publications deemed contrary to constitutional order. Human rights organizations have criticized this legal framework for facilitating the persecution of dissent on social media.
Despite these risks, the youths are determined to continue speaking publicly about the country's reality.
The father's testimony about the threats highlights the personal and familial costs of raising one's voice in Cuba, where pressures often target not only activists but also those around them.
Understanding the Threats to Cuban Youth Activists
What is the "Outside the Box" project?
"Outside the Box" is a project initiated by four young individuals from Havana who produce political content on social media. They aim to foster public debate and analyze Cuba's reality, advocating for individual freedom and structural changes within the country.
Why are the families of these youths being threatened?
Family members are reportedly being intimidated by State Security agents as a means to pressure the youth involved in "Outside the Box" to cease their critical content creation against the Cuban government.
What challenges do young political content creators face in Cuba?
Young creators face surveillance, intimidation, and potential legal repercussions under laws that penalize online content deemed contrary to the constitutional order, despite international criticism of these laws.