Those prosecuted are accused of public disorder, instigation to commit a crime and attack
14ymedio, Havana, 17 May 2024 — The trial against the Caimanera protesters for the crimes of public disorder, instigation to commit a crime and attack began this Wednesday behind closed doors and under a strong security operation that protects the surroundings of the Municipal People’s Court of Niceto Pérez, in the Guantanamo province.
The activist and independent journalist Yeris Curbelo Aguilera tried to cover the case but was intimidated by State Security so that he would leave immediately. The reporter shared his testimony through an audio that was broadcast through the Facebook page Presos Políticos de Cuba [Cuban Political Prisoners] where he briefly chronicled the situation outside the court.
“I went to Niceto Pérez but when I arrived [there was] a tremendous police and State Security operation. As soon as they saw me get out of the car, the mobilization and more intensified, against me,” he explained. “They pounced on me, they got on top of me and the head of State Security in Caimanera, Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Rafita, and others, told me that I could not enter the court.”
The activist and independent journalist Yeris Curbelo Aguilera tried to cover the case but was intimidated by State Security
However, a few minutes later, after being harassed and remaining in the crosshairs of the political police, they finally asked the journalist to leave under the threat of charging him with the crimes of disobedience and contempt.
The trial is taking place a year after the anti-government protests that shook the municipality, next to the United States naval base, where the protestors demanded freedom and a dignified life for the population of the area. This sparked a violent response from the regime that did not hesitate to send to the streets groups of Black Berets — as the