Members of the Cuban youth collective Out of the Box, Amanda Beatriz ("Betty") and Abel Alejandro Andrés Navarro, shared a video on Instagram this past Saturday, detailing their firsthand experience during an interrogation by Cuba's State Security on Wednesday, July 2nd. They described the event as a deliberate operation designed to treat them "almost like criminals."
According to the Andrés Navarro siblings, the ordeal began at 10 AM when they were summoned for what was initially presented as an interview. However, it quickly turned into a political interrogation lasting over an hour, focusing on the embargo and alleged crimes of "inciting delinquency," "defamation," and "disparagement of heroes."
One of the most striking moments of the account was when the activist recounted that the agents considered the phrase "how much longer"—a common expression among Cubans—as an act of incitement to delinquency: "Saying 'how much longer,' a phrase every Cuban uses, was incitement to delinquency. Just unbelievable," she remarked.
At the end of the interrogation, the young woman found her brother in distressing conditions: "I go downstairs and see my brother in what felt like a dungeon, which I couldn’t understand because he’s not a criminal." The agents even attempted to place him in cells with other detainees, a move the activist saw as an intimidation tactic.
Repression Tactics and Legal Concerns
The repressive operation on July 2nd targeted four activists across various police units in Havana. Amanda Beatriz ("Betty") and Abel Alejandro Andrés Navarro were taken to the National Revolutionary Police unit in the 10 de Octubre municipality in Lawton. Meanwhile, Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente ("Anna Bensi") and Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora ("Pregonero de Cristo") were summoned to the Alamar station in Habana del Este.
The detention extended nearly 11 hours, far exceeding the two-hour legal limit set by Cuban law for such proceedings.
In the video, the siblings emphasized that the extended bureaucracy was deliberate: "Keeping us tied up for so many hours in processes that could have taken much less time was clearly intended to waste our day, which had been planned for an event at Mike Hammer's residence," they stated, referring to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence at the U.S. diplomatic mission chief's home.
U.S. Embassy Condemnation
The U.S. Embassy in Havana publicly condemned the crackdown, and Mike Hammer criticized on social media the State Security's intimidation of Cuban citizens attending diplomatic events.
The summons also contained formal irregularities: Abel Andrés Navarro reported that the document was "poorly written, lacking legal terms," and the date was mistakenly listed as June 2nd instead of July 2nd.
Anna Bensi was released just after 8:56 PM on Wednesday, emotional and welcomed by applause from her relatives. She has been under house arrest since March 25, 2026, accused along with her mother of "acts against personal privacy," facing potential prison sentences ranging from two to five years.
Activist David Espinosa ("DavidSiloetano") described the day as "nearly 11 hours of psychological torture," alleging the aim was to prevent the group's attendance at Hammer's event.
In response to the ordeal, the youth of Out of the Box stood firm: "We are simply young people expressing what we feel on social media and standing by our beliefs, that's all."
Understanding the Interrogation of Out of the Box Members
What triggered the interrogation of the Out of the Box members?
The interrogation was prompted by the State Security's interest in their activities, focusing on allegations of "inciting delinquency," "defamation," and "disparagement of heroes."
How did the U.S. Embassy respond to the situation?
The U.S. Embassy in Havana condemned the repression and Mike Hammer criticized the intimidation of Cuban citizens attending diplomatic events.
What irregularities were found in the summons issued to Abel Andrés Navarro?
The document was poorly written, lacking legal terms, and the date was incorrectly listed as June 2nd instead of July 2nd.