Havana/State Security detains the independent journalist in Camagüey Henry Constantindirector of Cuba Time. Meanwhile, in Pinar del Río, a political police officer showed up at the intellectual’s house. Dagoberto Valdes to prohibit members of the Coexistence Studies Center (CEC) from attending an activity of the United States Embassy in Havana.
Constantín remains since Wednesday afternoon in Villa María Luisa, the headquarters of State Security operations and interrogations in Camagüey, and is being investigated for an alleged crime of “disobedience,” according to reported this Thursday Cuba Time.
The information was communicated to Alejandra García, journalist and Constantín’s partner, when she attended an appointment this Thursday with the instructor in charge of the case. The official was not there, but another officer explained to him that the investigation would be related to a previous summons, scheduled for September 9 at the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Immigration, in the Vista Hermosa neighborhood. According to Cuba Timethe authorities maintain that Constantín “did not arrive on time” for that meeting and that this behavior could constitute “disobedience.”
An official even assured that the journalist was not registered in that unit.
The current repressive episode began last Tuesday, around 2:30 in the afternoon, when an agent identified as Felipe verbally informed Constantín that he had to appear the next day at 8:30 in the morning at the Second Unit of the National Revolutionary Police, located on the Central Highway.
Constantín went to the station and his last communication with his colleagues occurred around 8:48 in the morning. Around one in the afternoon, members of Cuba Time They tried to find out where he was, but they received contradictory answers and an official even assured that the journalist was not registered in that unit. Hours later it was learned that he had been transferred to Villa María Luisa.
It is not the first time that Constantín has passed through these facilities. In June 2025 was arrested when he accompanied journalist Iris Mariño to a summons and was also transferred to Villa María Luisa. During 2026 it has also suffered several arrests and subpoenas, as documented by independent organizations and media.
“We come to tell you in advance so you don’t have a bad night”
More than 500 kilometers away, in Pinar del Río, the pressure took another form this Thursday. The Coexistence Study Center reported that a State Security officer identified as Major John showed up at the home of its director, Dagoberto Valdés Hernández, to warn that the members of the organization they were prohibited participate in the activity American nightsorganized by the United States Embassy in Havana.
“We have come to tell you in advance so that you do not have a bad night,” said the officer, according to the note released by Convivencia.
Major John had previously intervened in actions against the CEC. On April 8, he participated, together with Major Juan Manuel Pérez, head of the brigade to confront the “counterrevolution” in Pinar del Río, in the interrogations of Valdés and Yoandy Izquierdo at the Immigration and Aliens offices. The Center itself then identified John as the new officer in charge of “serving” the organization.
As on previous occasions, State Security resorted to different methods to prevent these meetings from being held normally.
Those interrogations occurred after several visits by agents to Valdés’ house and the arrest of members of the Naturpaz environmental project. According to the CEC, officials then warned that they would not allow certain workshops or links between Convivencia and other independent projects.
It is also not the first time that the authorities have tried to prevent Valdés from participating in diplomatic meetings. In June 2025State Security summoned him to warn him that they would not allow residents from other provinces to travel to Havana for a reception at the US Embassy for the Fourth of July. In January of this year, Valdés and Yoandy Izquierdo were arrested in Pinar del Río due to contacts with US diplomats.
Although both repressive events occurred in distant provinces, they occurred a few hours before an activity organized by the United States Embassy in Havana, to which several members of civil society had been expressly invited. As on previous occasions, State Security resorted to different methods to prevent these meetings from being held normally.
