Segura denounces pressure on the Cuban press after Yoani Sánchez's arrest

Juan Pablo Segura, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, questioned actions against Cuba's independent press after Yoani Sánchez was arrested in Havana. In a post on X, he presented the detention as part of a campaign against journalists and said authorities resort to arbitrary arrests because they fear the truth being exposed. He also connected the case with the situations of Adelth Bonne Gamboa, Camila Acosta and Henry Constantín.

Sánchez directs the digital outlet 14ymedio. The journalist left her Nuevo Vedado home Thursday morning intending to shop at a nearby market when State Security agents intercepted her. Before contact was lost, she briefly alerted colleagues. Reinaldo Escobar, her husband and also a journalist, confirmed that she regained her freedom that afternoon after the family spent several hours without knowing her whereabouts.

On Monday, Adelth Bonne Gamboa was intercepted in Havana's Santos Suárez neighborhood. After being released, he said he lost work tools and received a 3,000 Cuban-peso fine under Decree-Law 370. He also said he was threatened with prison.

Camila Acosta was detained the following day while taking her cat to a veterinary appointment. The reporter was handcuffed and taken to a police station, where she spent several hours before being released. She later said she received a warning notice for recording an officer who would not allow her to leave her home. Acosta also reported new threats of criminal prosecution connected with the recording.

Henry Constantín, director of La Hora de Cuba, has been imprisoned since September at Kilo 7, a maximum-security prison in Camagüey. Segura included his situation among the cases that, in his view, reflect pressure on independent journalists on the island.

Sánchez's arrest followed other episodes during 2026. In January, agents intercepted her as she tried to attend a U.S. diplomatic reception. In March and September, State Security officers prevented her from leaving her home.