Citizen Portal
Sign In

CPJ and activists denounce arrest of El Cuartico creators; Luis Manuel Otero Alcán sends support from prison

Radio Martí · February 11, 2026

Loading...

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the immediate release of independent creators Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Camil Sayas Pérez after their Feb. 6 arrest in Olguín; Luis Manuel Otero Alcán recorded a message from Guarajay urging Cubans to raise their voices in support.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Feb. 11 condemned the detention of independent content creators Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Camil Sayas Pérez, who reporters say were arrested on Feb. 6 in the city of Olguín and had computers, phones and cameras seized during the operation. CPJ called for their immediate release and for Cuban authorities to allow the free flow of information on the island.

Radio Martí reported that, according to relatives and associates, no formal charges had been presented and the current whereabouts of the two creators were unknown. The bulletin said law‑enforcement agents confiscated equipment the pair used to record and document their work.

In an audio message obtained by Radio Martí from the prison of Guarajay, artist and San Isidro movement leader Luis Manuel Otero Otero Alcántara — described in the bulletin as recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience — urged support for the detained members of the El Cuartico project. “Es hora de alzar la voz porque estamos en viento de libertad,” the bulletin quoted his recording.

The report did not cite any public legal filings or specify criminal charges. CPJ and other press‑freedom groups said the detentions deepen concerns about the shrinking space for independent media in Cuba. The bulletin did not report a government response to CPJ’s call.

The bulletin also noted that the detentions and seizures prompted concern among activists and human‑rights organizations, which have urged international monitors and press‑freedom advocates to seek information about the detainees’ conditions and legal status. The follow‑up step reported was CPJ’s public demand for release; no trial date or formal charge was cited in the broadcast.