MIAMI – As more protests in solidarity with Cuba continue to take place across South Florida, there are many people living in Miami who are personally affected by what is happening on the island.
Maria Ferreiro is worried about what may happen to her son, 37-year-old Henry Constantin. He is an independent journalist who runs a publication called “La Hora de Cuba.” He went before the Organization of American States in 2019, to talk about the situation in Cuba.
⚠️CONTINÚAN DETENIDOS Y EN PARADERO DESCONOCIDO MIEMBROS DE LA HORA DE CUBA. Exigimos la fe de vida de nuestros colegas...
Posted by La Hora de Cuba on Monday, July 12, 2021
According to Ferreira, Constantin, along with his producer Iris Mariño and editor Neife Rigau, were detained while they were covering the protests that began on Sunday in Camagüey. In Cuba, being an independent journalist can make you a target.
“They put him in handcuffs and took him away,” explained Ferreiro. She said special forces called “Boinas Negras” took him to his home while handcuffed and then took all of the equipment he uses to do his job as a journalist.
“I’m afraid for his life. I’m desperately worried” said Ferreiro. His mother also said she’s worried what may happen to him, including unfair trials and convictions.
So far, Constantin and his colleagues are being charged with public disorder.
According to a post on Constatin’s publication on Friday, the three journalists were transferred to the Technical Investigative Unit of the Ministry of the Interior, in Camagüey. It is known as “the place where everyone sings” for its methods of greater severity in interrogations and informational investigations.