Young Activist Released After 12-Hour Detention and Questioning in Havana

Karel Daniel Hernández Bosques, a member of the independent collective Fuera de la Caja Cuba, was released late Friday night after spending around 12 hours in police custody at the Aguilera station in the 10 de Octubre municipality of Havana.

The collective announced his release on Facebook, emphasizing the reason behind his detention: "Finally, after 12 hours of questioning, he was freed. Twelve hours of interrogation just for creating videos and posting them online."

Hernández Bosques, along with another group member, Mauro Reigosa Pérez, was summoned to appear at the same police station. Before going, Hernández Bosques publicly expressed his apprehension, asking for luck and hoping for an end to the abuses faced by Cuban activists.

Reigosa Pérez, speaking for the group, highlighted the challenges they face: "We are experiencing a wave of repression against all Cubans involved in content creation or political activism," he stated, adding, "Those who speak the political truth about this country are being harassed."

Founded in January 2026 in Havana's Cerro municipality, Fuera de la Caja Cuba is a youth collective of individuals in their twenties producing videos, theater, and digital content with liberal or libertarian views and religious faith. Members are often seen wearing red caps emblazoned with the slogan "Make Cuba Great Again."

This is not the first instance of pressure on the group. On July 2, Amanda and Abel Andrés Navarro were detained for over eight hours at the same Aguilera station. In October, influencer Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente and her mother faced a two-year restriction of freedom for posting images of a Ministry of the Interior agent from their home.

Hernández Bosques's detention occurred amid an unprecedented week of repression in Cuba. CubaNet contributor Adelth Bonne Gamboa was arrested in Santos Suárez, interrogated for about 45 minutes, fined 3,000 pesos under Decree-Law 370, and had his computer, phone, camera, tripods, headphones, and microphone confiscated.

Journalist Camila Acosta was handcuffed and held for over eight hours while on her way to a veterinary appointment. Meanwhile, journalist and activist Yoani Sánchez was detained by State Security upon leaving her Nuevo Vedado home, held for nearly nine hours, and accused of a supposed crime of "offense against constitutional order."

On the same Friday of Hernández Bosques's detention, the political police carried out simultaneous operations outside the homes of numerous activists and journalists—including Yoani Sánchez, Camila Acosta, and Lara Crofs—to prevent them from attending an event at the U.S. Embassy. Lara Crofs reported being barred from leaving home even to attend her deceased aunt's wake.

The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights recorded at least 387 repressive actions by the Cuban regime in October 2026, surpassing the 344 documented in September, highlighting the extent of systematic harassment against those who dare to document and expose the reality on the island.