The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) has documented a staggering 3,051 repressive actions in Cuba from January to September 2026, with 344 state abuses reported in September alone. This data was released in the organization’s monthly report, published Tuesday from its headquarters in Madrid.
With three months left in the year, Cuba's authoritarian regime is on track to surpass the 3,179 repressive actions recorded by OCDH for the entire year of 2025.
Among the 344 recorded incidents in September, there were 17 arbitrary detentions and 327 other forms of systematic harassment. The victims included 189 men and 155 women, spanning several provinces.
August, with 402 actions, and April, with 395, were the most violent months so far, making September the third-highest month for repressive actions in 2026.
By the end of the first half of the year, nearly two thousand repressive actions had been recorded, including 257 arbitrary detentions and 488 illegal home confinements.
Escalating Repression Against Freedom of Expression
Yaxys Cires, OCDH's Director of Strategies, expressed grave concern over the situation: “It has been a disastrous month for freedom of expression and independent journalism. As the regime grapples with unpopularity, it attempts to enforce silence, and we fear the situation may worsen.”
Cires further stressed that the government's refusal to engage in political negotiations is part of its strategy to maintain legal mechanisms that facilitate citizen persecution.
Targeted Harassment and Intimidation
In September, house arrest was the most frequently applied tactic, with 151 documented cases. Operations intensified around religious dates to prevent members of the Ladies in White from attending Sunday masses.
Activists Berta Soler, Ángel Moya, and María Cristina Labrada faced police surveillance all four Sundays of the month, including significant religious celebrations for the Virgin of Regla, Virgin of Charity of Cobre, and Virgin of Mercy.
On September 18, repression escalated to prevent dissidents from attending the "American Nights" event at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Security operatives confined journalists Yoani Sánchez, Reinaldo Escobar, Camila Acosta, and activist Óscar Elías Biscet to their homes.
Notable Arrests and Judicial Actions
Among the most severe cases was the arrest of journalist Henry Constantin, director of La Hora de Cuba. Detained in Camagüey on September 16 after a police summons, he was later placed in preventive custody and transferred to the maximum-security Kilo 7 prison without notifying his family. The Inter-American Press Society, Reporters Without Borders, and the U.S. government demanded his release.
Intellectual Alina Bárbara López Hernández was also detained for the fifth time this year while attempting to protest peacefully in Matanzas for the release of political prisoners.
In judicial news, the Provincial Popular Court of Las Tunas sentenced eight Cuba Primero movement members to seven to eight years for "propaganda against the constitutional order." Meanwhile, content creator Eduardo Ceballos Pérez of the Despingovery channel has spent 100 days in pretrial detention at the Combinado del Este, accused of espionage.
Early in October, authorities detained a man outside the Capitol building in Havana for displaying signs reading "Down with the dictatorship" and "End absurd political discrimination," signaling that repression continued unabated after September.
The OCDH cautions that their figures likely underestimate the reality, as Cuba's restricted access to information makes it challenging to document all cases. From 2021 to 2025, the organization recorded over 26,200 repressive actions on the island.
Understanding the Repressive Landscape in Cuba
What is the role of the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights?
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) monitors and documents human rights abuses in Cuba, providing reports and data on repressive actions by the government.
How does the Cuban government respond to dissent?
The Cuban government often employs tactics such as arbitrary detentions, house arrests, and harassment of dissidents to suppress dissent and maintain control.
Why are activists and journalists targeted in Cuba?
Activists and journalists are targeted because they challenge the government's narrative and attempt to expose human rights abuses and corruption to the public and international community.