Cuban State Security has detained Amanda Beatriz Andrés Navarro and Abel Alejandro Andrés Navarro, siblings and members of the youth collective Fuera de la Caja, following a summons at 10:00 a.m. to the Aguilera Street PNR Unit in Havana's 10 de Octubre municipality.
Their father reported via video from outside the police station that his children were held beyond the legally allowed two-hour limit for a police interview. Upon inquiring about their status, he was informed that Betty had already been questioned but was not permitted to leave. Meanwhile, Abel was still undergoing interrogation.
"We were able to briefly speak with Betty after her interview, which she said went smoothly. However, they wouldn't release her, and Abel was being questioned at that time," the father recounted.
The father openly criticized the police's actions: "We don't understand why Betty isn't allowed to leave post-interview, nor why they didn't question both simultaneously to adhere to the legal time constraints they should also follow."
Heightened Tensions and Additional Summonses
Simultaneously, content creator Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known as Anna Bensi, and Christian pastor Rolando Pérez Lora, "El Pregonero de Cristo," were summoned to the Alamar police station in East Havana. At the time of reporting, there was no confirmation of their release.
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) raised alarms over these summonses, demanding respect for freedom of expression and condemning the ongoing crackdown. It was noted that the young activists engaged in collective prayer before entering their interrogations.
Legal Intimidation and Questionable Citations
Anna Bensi's summons, signed by First Lieutenant Julio Torres Suárez, was intended for an "official warning," a legal maneuver often criticized by human rights groups as a form of intimidation against activists and dissidents. Bensi shared the summons on Facebook with a defiant message: "SUMMONED FOR TOMORROW 10 a.m. DOWN WITH THE DICTATORSHIP."
Betty and Abel had reported earlier that their summons was riddled with irregularities. "The citation is a mess. It's poorly written, legally flawed, and dated incorrectly. They summoned us for last month—the date reads June 2. This only proves that this regime uses the law as mere decoration," stated Abel.
Background of Escalating Repression
The summonses followed a public clash between Anna Bensi and Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and former intelligence agent. Bensi accused Hernández of owning the small enterprise "El Mercadito" and criticized his lifestyle. Hernández hinted at possible legal action against her without retracting his stance.
Pastor Pérez Lora was previously detained in March 2026 for praying in a public park in Matanzas, a case documented by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in April of that year. Since its public emergence, Fuera de la Caja has faced systematic repression, including phone disconnections, account hacking, and intimidating home visits.
Understanding the Crackdown on 'Fuera de la Caja'
What is 'Fuera de la Caja'?
'Fuera de la Caja' is a youth collective in Cuba known for its activism and criticism of the government's policies.
Why were Amanda Beatriz and Abel Alejandro detained?
They were detained by Cuban State Security after being summoned for questioning at a police unit in Havana, allegedly exceeding the legal time limit for such interviews.
What irregularities were reported with the summons?
The summons contained errors such as incorrect dates and poor legal formatting, leading to criticisms of legal mismanagement.