State Security has prevented 23-year-old Armando Sardiñas, who served a 10-month sentence for participating in the July 11, 2021 protests, from leaving the country. Sardiñas and his sister reported on social media that upon reaching the immigration counter, where authorities review travelers' documents, two State Security agents approached him, tore up his plane ticket, and informed him that he was "prohibited" from traveling. "See, we do whatever we want," they told him after announcing this decision.
"Two individuals, the same ones who have been harassing him lately, showed up at the José Martí International Airport Immigration offices. I imagine them panting like hounds behind their escaping prey, continuing the harassment and abuse of power that characterizes the Mafia that is Cuba's State Security, preventing my brother from traveling by declaring his trip 'prohibited', tearing up his ticket, and announcing that 'tomorrow they would talk to him'," recounted his sister Jacqueline Hope.
For his part, Sardiñas explained that he "lost everything, the sacrifice of his family, his dreams turned into a nightmare at that moment when it was his turn at immigration to check his flight and enter the waiting area."
"This is socialist Cuba, the paradise many promote, in which for collaborating with an independent media outlet, they deny and violate your rights, forbid you the right to go wherever you want, even if it's just the corner of your house. I don't lose hope; one day I will be free, I will be able to vent and share all those feelings and anecdotes I have been living since July 11, 2021," he expressed.
Sardiñas, currently an independent media collaborator with CubaNet, was sentenced in October 2021 to 10 months of corrective labor with internment at the La Lima camp in Guanabacoa (Havana) for his participation in the historic anti-government protests on July 11. Since then, both he and his family have been subjected to harassment by the political police.
On April 14, he was detained by State Security agents while documenting the "Day of the Dog" March at the Colón Cemetery in Havana. The regime's repressors kept him under arrest and incommunicado for seven hours, subjecting him to an intense interrogation, according to information published by the cited independent media outlet.
State Security Harassment in Cuba
Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about the harassment faced by Armando Sardiñas and the broader implications for human rights in Cuba.
Why was Armando Sardiñas barred from leaving Cuba?
Armando Sardiñas was barred from leaving Cuba by State Security agents who approached him at the airport, tore up his plane ticket, and informed him that he was prohibited from traveling.
What were the charges against Armando Sardiñas?
Armando Sardiñas was sentenced to 10 months of corrective labor with internment at the La Lima camp in Guanabacoa for his participation in the July 11, 2021, anti-government protests.
How has Armando Sardiñas been harassed by State Security?
Since his participation in the protests, both Armando Sardiñas and his family have been subjected to ongoing harassment by the political police, including being detained and interrogated while documenting public events.