Leonardo Romero Negrín, an activist with a significant history of political persecution, was forcibly detained on Wednesday night at the intersection of Ánimas and Consulado in Central Havana. He had joined a neighborhood "cacerolazo," a pot-banging protest, against the prolonged power outages and water shortages plaguing the nation.
Reports circulated on social media by the organizations Justicia 11J and the Academic Freedom Observatory indicate that police officers aggressively apprehended him and transported him to the Zanja Street police station in the same district.
Family and friends waited outside the police station for hours without clear information: initially promised updates at 8:00 a.m., the time was pushed to 10:00 a.m., and ultimately to 2:00 p.m.
According to online reports available at the time, authorities had filed a criminal case against him for the alleged offense of "public disorder," and Romero Negrín remained in custody.
Community Outrage and Support
Journalist and researcher Lisbeth Moya González, a close friend of the activist, led the public outcry, vowing not to let the issue fade into silence. "Leo was arrested in his neighborhood in Central Havana for doing what every decent Cuban should be doing right now: participating in a cacerolazo," she posted on her Facebook profile.
Moya González also warned about the legal proceedings: "Ladies and gentlemen, Leonardo Romero Negrín has been charged with public disorder. It seems they won’t release him today."
Gretel Alvisa Realín summarized the arbitrariness of the arrest: "Banging pots in Cuba is now criminalized. We, as citizens, cannot express our discontent, our dissatisfaction, and our anger about living in a nation that is both trapped and in darkness."
History of Persecution
Romero Negrín's arrest is part of an ongoing pattern of reprisals against him. In April 2021, he was detained on Obispo Street for holding a sign that read "Socialism yes, repression no."
During the July 11, 2021, protests, he was violently arrested while trying to protect a former student from being beaten by plainclothes officers. He was held for six days and reported beatings, blows to his legs, and a headbutt to his nose.
In March 2025, police arrested him again for protesting with a blank sign in Havana's Central Park, and in February 2026, he was detained alongside professor Alina Bárbara López in Matanzas, later released with warnings of potential charges.
A Shrinking Space for Dissent
This arrest comes amid a wave of "cacerolazos" and protests sweeping across Cuba since June, driven by an unprecedented energy crisis: the electricity deficit hit a record 2,211 MW this Thursday, leaving about 69% of the country without power.
Justicia 11J and the Academic Freedom Observatory have called on diplomatic missions in Cuba, as well as UNESCO, the European Union, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Amnesty International, to take note of the detention.
Moya González concluded her statement with a direct warning to the regime: "Release Leonardo Romero now. If you don't, narratively, you're going to have another hero imprisoned because that's what he is. Leonardo Romero Negrín is a silent hero: the hero of his neighborhood people, his students, everyone who knows him."
On social media, the case has sparked a wave of solidarity and condemnation, with numerous voices denouncing the arrest and demanding his release.
Renowned figures such as filmmaker Fernando Pérez and intellectual Alina Bárbara López Hernández have joined the call for action, amid a growing climate of repression and the criminalization of peaceful protest in Cuba.
Key Questions on the Arrest of Leonardo Romero Negrín
What led to the arrest of Leonardo Romero Negrín?
Leonardo Romero Negrín was arrested for participating in a "cacerolazo," a protest against power outages and water shortages in Central Havana.
What charges is Leonardo Romero Negrín facing?
Authorities have charged him with "public disorder," and he remains in custody as the investigation continues.
How has the international community reacted?
Organizations like Justicia 11J and the Academic Freedom Observatory have reached out to international bodies, urging them to address Romero Negrín's detention.