A Cuban State Security agent was captured on video threatening residents of the Havana neighborhood El Fanguito, warning them about being identified and arrested if they shared footage of his presence on social media.
After the protests on Thursday on Avenida 23, this agent gathered a group of neighbors on the street, aiming to intimidate them and prevent future demonstrations and road closures in the capital.
The video, shared by rapper and activist Eliécer Márquez Duany, known as "El Funky," shows the officer interrupting a mother describing the plight of children in the area—"asleep on their mothers, without food, without anything, without bread"—to caution those present about the repercussions of documenting his actions.
The agent boldly declared to the gathered crowd: "I am from Security. I know who uploads the photo, even if they send it to a family member abroad and that family member posts it. I can trace the link, the IP address, whatever is necessary. I'll find it and then I'll come looking."
Attempting to make a legal distinction to justify his threats, he stated, "Listen, filming isn’t a crime. But I’m a public official, and you commit a crime when you post me on social media without my authorization and consent. Are we clear?"
While expressing understanding for the community's frustration, the agent mentioned the case of two linemen arrested in Calabazar, Boyeros, on July 17, accused of illegally selling electricity to private businesses during blackouts. However, he insisted that protests and public anger hindered his investigation into whether local linemen were also corrupt, a concern apparently raised by the residents.
"The investigative process is underway. But I'm not going to catch the linemen with anything incriminating... because you have them threatened here... The Boyeros linemen are in custody," he said, attempting to calm the neighbors and redirect their frustration towards workers supposedly under investigation.
The repression extended beyond verbal threats. In another Facebook post, Márquez Duany reported that State Security agents detained two mothers at the Zapata y C police unit. One of them, identified as María Yilian Franco Díaz, was taken to the station with her four-year-old son, José Luis Navarro.
The repression mirrored previous patterns observed in other protests: just hours after the blockade on Avenida 23, the regime restored electricity in El Fanguito—a tactic activists interpret as a way to demobilize protests without addressing their root causes—and soon after, arrests began.
The threats made by the officer in El Fanguito are part of a repressive approach already applied by the regime after other protests over blackouts.
In Nuevitas, Camagüey, in 2022, State Security launched a crackdown on those who participated in or disseminated information about protests, involving arrests, summonses, and interrogations.
Among the most notable cases is that of Mayelín Rodríguez Prado, arrested after live-streaming police repression and sentenced to 15 years in prison for documenting the protests in that locality.
The young mother was later shown in a self-incriminating video broadcast by official spokesperson Humberto López on state television, serving as a public warning against demonstrators.
In June, agents threatened activist Manuel Cuesta Morúa with being "shot in the head" if he continued promoting pot-banging protests.
The repression has left a measurable trail: Cubalex recorded nearly 2,000 repressive actions in the first half of 2026, and in July, at least 24 arrests occurred following a protest in Luyanó, and four arrests in Sibanicú, Camagüey, after a pot-banging protest over water and electricity.
The protests in El Fanguito erupted after the neighborhood endured more than 48 hours without electricity, water, or gas, amid Cuba's most severe energy crisis in history, with shortages leaving up to 74% of the island without power during peak demand periods.
Understanding the Repressive Tactics in Cuba
What sparked the protests in El Fanguito?
The protests in El Fanguito were triggered by over 48 hours without electricity, water, or gas, amid a severe energy crisis affecting Cuba.
How did the Cuban regime respond to the protests?
The regime responded with intimidation, arrests, and restoring electricity to quell the protests without addressing the underlying issues.
Who was Mayelín Rodríguez Prado?
Mayelín Rodríguez Prado was a young mother sentenced to 15 years in prison for live-streaming police repression during protests in Nuevitas, Camagüey.