Vladimir Turró Páez, a journalist for CubaNet operating from within Cuba, has reported a harrowing experience of being abducted by three State Security agents. This incident occurred on a Thursday while he was visiting his mother's residence in Havana. He described the ordeal as ten hours of 'extreme terror,' during which a gun was pointed at his head, and he was subjected to a mock Russian roulette to coerce him into publicly abandoning independent journalism.
According to a video testimony by Turró, the agents arrived at his mother's house around 11 a.m. on November 12, insisting that he accompany them. He was forced into a private vehicle—not a police car—with his head pressed down between his legs throughout the journey, causing him severe back pain.
"They took me to a remote area, and those were moments of immense fear. Why? Because upon arrival, one agent was recording with a phone while another pointed a gun at me, trying to force me to resign from CubaNet," Turró recounted.
In this secluded location, one agent held the weapon on him while another filmed the scene, demanding he declare his resignation on camera. The armed agent repeatedly inserted and removed the magazine, pulling the trigger in a psychological tactic akin to 'Russian roulette.'
"The one with the gun kept removing the magazine, putting it back, and pulling the trigger. I couldn't tell if it was loaded, but the terror was overwhelming," he described.
Despite the pressure, Turró remained silent. "I thought my life would end right there. It was a tough moment," he admitted. He also noted the agents' youth—"any one of them could have been my son"—and their evident malice and hatred, which were difficult to comprehend.
After this intense intimidation, he was taken to the Sixth Police Unit, where an instructor from Villa Marista—the headquarters of State Security in Havana—presented him with a warning document. The paper demanded his resignation from CubaNet and independent journalism, threatening imprisonment for 'usurpation of legal capacity,' a term used by the regime to criminalize free journalistic practice in the island.
Turró refused to sign, telling the instructor that "if independent journalism was not allowed, it was because we were under a dictatorship, and dictatorships do not permit such freedoms." He was released around 9 p.m.
This episode is part of an escalating crackdown documented against CubaNet journalists in November 2026. Recently, journalist Camila Acosta was detained for over eight hours, and her phone was destroyed with a corrosive substance; collaborator Adelth Bonne Gamboa was violently detained, had his equipment confiscated, and was fined 3,000 pesos. According to the Cuban Observatory of Freedom of Expression of ICLEP, between 2024 and November 2026, there have been 124 recorded violations against CubaNet journalists and collaborators, with 45 occurring in 2026 alone and 13 incidents specifically targeting Turró.
"I will not stop doing my work; I will continue my journalism, and my only crime will be being on the street with a phone and a microphone," the journalist asserted at the end of his testimony.
Understanding the Risks for Independent Journalists in Cuba
What challenges do independent journalists in Cuba face?
Independent journalists in Cuba face severe repression, including detention, intimidation, and threats of imprisonment, as the regime seeks to suppress free press and control information.
Why was Vladimir Turró Páez targeted by State Security?
Vladimir Turró Páez was targeted because of his work as an independent journalist for CubaNet, which the Cuban government views as a threat due to its commitment to reporting freely on the island's realities.
How does the Cuban government justify actions against independent journalists?
The Cuban government often uses terms like 'usurpation of legal capacity' to criminalize the activities of independent journalists, framing their work as illegal to justify repressive measures.