A young individual with epilepsy has been incarcerated in Cuba since late July after being apprehended by State Security alongside four adults for participating in a protest in Oriente Rebelde, a community in the Sibanicú municipality, Camagüey province.
The legal rights organization, Cubalex, has sounded the alarm over these arrests, demanding the immediate release of the five individuals.
The protest, known as a "cacerolazo," took place on July 25, the day before the National Rebellion Day, spurred by the chronic lack of potable water and persistent power outages that have plagued the community for years.
The following day, more than five police officers descended upon Oriente Rebelde, questioning and threatening residents to identify those involved in the demonstration.
The detainees, identified as Luis Alberto La Ó, Lisbany Aguilera La Ó, Raudel Ramírez Vázquez, Yoelki Fonseca, and his younger brother Yordenkis Fonseca, were initially taken to the Third Unit of the National Revolutionary Police in Camagüey city, and subsequently moved to a provisional detention center in Villa María Luisa, a hub for State Security operations in the province.
The case of Yordenkis Fonseca is particularly alarming. Cubalex highlighted that he "is a minor and suffers from epilepsy," noting that "since his detention, he has experienced several seizures requiring hospitalization." Despite this, authorities continue to keep him in custody.
The families of the five detainees remain in the dark regarding the charges against them, with no legal information provided, leaving them, according to Cubalex, in a state of defenselessness.
Neighbor Rogelio Rodríguez Mora, who reported the incidents on social media, described the police operation: "This place was swarmed with cars and police scaring people. They summoned a bunch of folks, and you know how they work, intimidating everyone."
Rodríguez Mora is no stranger to repression; in August 2025, he was detained for 12 days following another water protest in the same community and was pressured to become an informant.
The arrests in Sibanicú are part of a broader wave of repression documented throughout 2026. The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights recorded 1,949 repressive actions in the first half of the year, including 257 arbitrary detentions. In June alone, Cubalex counted 107 protests across the country and 38 arrests linked to cacerolazos, six of which involved minors.
The pattern of arresting minors in protest contexts has been recurrent in 2026. By early August, Cubalex had identified at least seven minors detained in Cuba for protest-related activities.
The organization Prisoners Defenders concluded July with 1,327 political prisoners, 41 of whom had been arrested as minors.
Cubalex was emphatic in its demand: "Authorities must stop persecuting and retaliating against those who voice their discontent and demand dignified living conditions. Peaceful protest is not a crime. It is a fundamental right."
Understanding the Detention of Minors in Cuban Protests
What sparked the protest in Oriente Rebelde?
The protest, or "cacerolazo," was triggered by the prolonged lack of potable water and ongoing power outages affecting the community.
Who is Yordenkis Fonseca?
Yordenkis Fonseca is a minor with epilepsy who was detained during the protest and has suffered multiple seizures since his incarceration.
How has Cubalex responded to the arrests?
Cubalex has demanded the immediate release of those detained and criticized the authorities for their repressive actions against peaceful protestors.