Cuban activist Amelia Calzadilla delivered a resolute message this Tuesday following news that her parents were required to appear at 2:30 p.m. at the IV Police Unit in Cerro, Havana, for interrogation by Cuban State Security.
"I have no regrets; my parents will not be questioned because of my political activism. They are being interrogated because they live as hostages under a tyrannical, bloody, and criminal dictatorship. This fight goes on to the end," Calzadilla asserted on her verified Facebook account, in a public post shared about an hour before the scheduled questioning.
The summons was served on July 11, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the July 11 protests, by two agents—one in civilian clothes and the other a uniformed officer—directly at the family home in the Cerro neighborhood of Havana.
When exposing the citation on July 12, Calzadilla condemned it as "psychological torture," demanding clarity: "Say that you are going to interrogate two elderly and ill individuals to try and intimidate their daughter, who from abroad, is denouncing and will not stop denouncing the dire conditions in my country."
The activist placed direct accountability on the regime for any outcomes: "I hold the State Security, intelligence, the Cuban dictatorship, and the Communist Party responsible for anything that might happen to my parents."
Calzadilla has been residing in Madrid since November 2023, after leaving Cuba with her husband and three children due to political persecution, including the arrest of her husband, Antonio Díaz, in June 2023 as a form of coercion.
From exile, she has amplified her efforts: she serves as the program coordinator for Citizenship and Freedom, is a member of the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba, and in May 2026, she established the Cuban Classical Liberal Party.
In April 2026, she visited the European Parliament alongside Carolina Barrero, prompting the European Union to initiate a formal review process of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba.
State’s Pressure Tactics on Exiled Activists’ Families
The strategy of exerting pressure on exiled activists through their vulnerable relatives on the island is a well-documented and systematic practice. Between March 2023 and June 2024, State Security conducted at least 250 repressive actions against families of political prisoners, involving 66 women, six elderly individuals, and five minors.
A similar incident took place in March 2026 with activist Anna Bensi, whose mother was summoned to the Alamar police unit, where both were charged with offenses potentially carrying a two to five-year prison sentence.
On March 31, 2026, four UN Special Rapporteurs condemned this pattern as "one of the most severe forms of structural repression" by the Cuban regime.
Calzadilla was unequivocal: "I will not allow myself to be intimidated, threatened, or silenced using my family."
Understanding the Repression of Activists in Cuba
What prompted Amelia Calzadilla's parents' police summons?
Amelia Calzadilla's parents were summoned by Cuban State Security for interrogation as a tactic to pressure her due to her political activism against the regime.
How does Amelia Calzadilla continue her activism from exile?
From Madrid, Amelia Calzadilla continues her activism by coordinating programs for Citizenship and Freedom, participating in the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba, and founding the Cuban Classical Liberal Party.
What was the response of international bodies to Cuba's repression tactics?
Four UN Special Rapporteurs condemned Cuba's use of repression tactics against activists' families as a severe form of structural repression.