Cuban Cultural and Media Figures Rally for Henry Constantín's Release: "Reporting Is Not a Crime"

A coalition of Cuban writers, journalists, theater directors, and independent communicators have come together in a video published by La Hora de Cuba, demanding the immediate release of Henry Constantín Ferreiro. As the founder and director of the publication, Constantín has been imprisoned for 28 days in the high-security Kilo 7 prison in Camagüey, with no trial date set.

The 36-second video features a series of powerful statements under the campaign slogan: "Creating is not a crime, investigating is not a crime, writing is not a crime, telling is not a crime, asking is not a crime, speaking is not a crime, informing is not a crime, listening is not a crime, deciding is not a crime, documenting is not a crime, communicating is not a crime. So, what is Henry's crime? Freedom for Henry Constantín Ferreiro."

Prominent figures featured in the video include writers Rafael Almanza and Pedro Armando Junco, journalists Josefina Fernández and William Lucas, theater director Mario Junkera, journalist and professor José Raúl Gallego, content creator Reina Yagnara, La Hora de Cuba's deputy director Iris Mariño, communicator Lucila Morales Vivar, and journalists Raúl Medina (elTOQUE), Jansel Moreno (Diario de Cuba), and Camila Acosta (CubaNet).

Also appearing is Alejandra García, a journalist for La Hora de Cuba and Constantín's partner. Her presence in the video is especially significant following an incident on October 9 when, after visiting Constantín in Kilo 7, she was detained and interrogated by State Security agents who offered her a choice between "the easy way or the hard way."

García remained steadfast, affirming that both she and Constantín were resolute. From prison, Constantín had conveyed a message through her: "I am calm and remain determined."

Constantín was arrested on September 16 after responding to a verbal summons at a National Police station in Camagüey. The regime accuses him of "disobedience" for allegedly failing to appear at a September 9 immigration summons—a charge he contests. On that day, he had announced on Facebook that he went to the Vista Hermosa Immigration Office, but the agents had left, advising him of a forthcoming new appointment.

Initially detained at Villa María Luisa, the State Security operations center in Camagüey, he was transferred without prior notice to Kilo 7 on September 24. His defense team reported being denied access to the case file for the first five days, and a habeas corpus petition filed on September 21 faced delays deemed illegal by legal experts.

Reporters Without Borders noted this as at least the 19th arrest related to Constantín's journalistic endeavors. The Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press recorded 26 violations against him from December 2024 to September 2026, including eight arbitrary detentions.

International pressure has been unrelenting. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Juan Pablo Segura demanded his release on September 30, stating that Constantín's "crime" was "promoting independent media."

The Inter American Press Association, PEN International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Civil Rights Defenders have also called for his freedom.

Since 2019, Constantín has been barred from leaving Cuba, a restriction that prevented him from traveling to Stockholm to accept the Civil Rights Defender of the Year award on behalf of La Hora de Cuba in May 2026. This accolade marked the first time a media outlet from the Americas received the honor.