Eva Cavero and Andrés Izarnótegui, a pair of Peruvian tourists, claim they were deported from Cuba after filming videos in the streets of Havana for their YouTube channel. The incident took place on September 19, 2024, while the couple was in Havana intending to document their travel experiences on the island.
"We traveled to Cuba as tourists to create content for our YouTube channel, La Blue Kombi. After just two days in Havana, we were detained by immigration authorities," they explained in a video shared from their home, after researching the legal issues surrounding the harassment they experienced on the island.
The tourists report that they were abruptly taken from their hotel room in the early morning hours and brought to Cuban immigration offices, where they were interrogated for 12 hours. The officers accused them of spreading information that tarnished the country's image on social media. Their mobile phones were confiscated, their WhatsApp messages scrutinized, and they were threatened with imprisonment for filming Cuba's way of life.
Deported Without Personal Belongings
Ultimately, Cuban authorities deported them back to their home country, Peru, without allowing them to return to the hotel to collect their belongings. While the video they posted is not intended as a formal complaint, Eva and Andrés warn other travelers about the potential for similar police harassment in Cuba.
The Cuban government, in this instance, violated several human rights. Eva and Andrés were denied legal representation during their questioning and were not allowed to contact family during their detention. Furthermore, they were barred from reaching out to their embassy in Cuba, and their private information was inspected when their phones and cameras were confiscated.
Warning for Future Visitors
"We fell victim to a regime that suppresses freedom of expression in every form," they stated, cautioning about the restrictions foreign visitors face when trying to document their time on the island. This incident underscores the challenges and dangers of filming in Cuba, where authorities maintain tight control over information flow both within and outside the country.