A video recorded inside the detention area of the Zanja Unit, a well-known *Revolutionary National Police* (RNP) station in Central Havana, has gone viral on social media. Posted on Facebook by *Marlene R. Sandoval*, the footage has ignited a heated discussion about detention conditions in Cuba.
The video features a young man claiming he has been held for three days without being able to contact his mother or receive any food.
"They've had me in here for three days. I haven't been allowed to speak to my mom, and I haven't eaten anything," the young man states in the video, which also captures the unhygienic conditions and overcrowding faced by detainees.
Unexpected Twist: The Phone Mystery
The most controversial topic among the more than 650 comments was not the complaint itself but a technical detail: how did someone manage to bring in a phone, given that the usual protocol involves confiscating all personal items before entering?
"Before you enter the cell, they make you remove everything: wallet, shoelaces, shoes, everything. I don't understand how he got the phone in," a user wrote, summarizing the bewilderment of many.
Several commenters with firsthand experience in detentions offered an explanation: the space shown in the video is not the actual cell but the initial waiting area.
"That's not the Zanja cell, it's a waiting room where they decide what to do with you. When things get serious, they send you to the back cells, which are much smaller with cement bunks. There, they take away everything," one explained.
Insights from Past Detainees
Another user agreed: "That's not the cell; it's the holding area. There, you're allowed to keep your phone," and added that "often, they don't even check you before entering. The thorough search happens when you're sent to the cells."
Others shared stories of managing to keep their devices by other means. "They didn't take mine because I didn't hand it over. They kept me overnight until dawn," one person recounted.
Another recalled a different scenario: "Once, I was in the cell, and someone came in with a button phone they had hidden and silenced."
A former detainee, who described having been through Cuban cells multiple times, pointed to a more unsettling possibility: "I remember entering the cell with nothing, but these are different times, or this is orchestrated by State Security."
History of Allegations and Abuse
The Zanja Unit is notorious for its history of abuse allegations. In July 2025, writer *Jorge Fernández Era* reported being beaten by a lieutenant colonel during his detention there.
In July 2026, activist *Leonardo Romero Negrín* spent several days in that unit after participating in a protest in Central Havana and was released with a fine of 2,000 Cuban pesos.
That same month, opposition leader *Manuel Cuesta Morúa* was taken to the facility in what organizations labeled a forced disappearance.
Following the July 11, 2021 protests, *Human Rights Watch* documented that up to thirty people were crammed into a cell less than five meters square in the Zanja Unit, with some detainees left in hallways due to lack of space.
The video adds to a growing list of testimonies about detention conditions in Cuba, where *Prisoners Defenders* has recorded 1,306 recognized political prisoners in the country.
FAQs on Detention Conditions in Cuba
What sparked the social media debate about the Zanja Unit?
A video posted on Facebook showing detention conditions inside the Zanja Unit, featuring a young man claiming he was held without contact or food, sparked the debate.
Why is the presence of a phone in the detention area controversial?
The presence of a phone is controversial because standard procedures involve confiscating personal items, leading to questions about how the device entered the facility.
What is the significance of the Zanja Unit in Cuba?
The Zanja Unit is significant due to its history of abuse allegations and its role in detaining political activists and dissidents under harsh conditions.