Detention of El4tico founders in Cuba

In February 2026, Cuban State Security arrested Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina, the founders of the independent audiovisual project El4tico, in Holguín. The men were charged with propaganda against the constitutional order and incitement to commit crimes, which carry potential prison sentences of up to nine years.

As of August 2026, the founders have been held in pretrial detention for six months without a trial date, a prosecutor's petition, or a habeas corpus hearing. Human rights organizations, including Cubalex and the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press (ICLEP), have denounced the detentions, citing procedural irregularities such as searches conducted without warrants or witnesses and the denial of legal oversight.

The United States Department of State has joined international condemnation, labeling the detentions unjust and calling for the immediate release of the journalists. Reports indicate that while in the Holguín Provincial Detention Center, Medina has refused to record a video retracting his views, and Zayas Pérez has issued messages of resilience to his supporters.