Following her public denunciation of an arson attempt on her home in Santa Clara, Cuban mother Yunisley Suárez Rodríguez provided further insights during an interview with the show La Casa de Maka. In her account, she shared the terror she and her three children experienced and expressed her ongoing concern over the authorities' inaction.
During the interview, Suárez Rodríguez recounted that in the early hours of Monday, February 24, at around 2:30 AM, she awoke to the sound of her dog's barking and neighbors shouting warnings of a fire inside her house. "The room was fully ablaze—the bed, the wardrobe, the kids' school supplies, everything was on fire," she recalled.
"With the help of my neighbors, we managed to extinguish the flames and get the children outside, who were severely affected by the smoke," she added, highlighting the desperation of the ordeal.
Prior to this incident, Suárez Rodríguez had reported threats from her neighbor, Marcos Martínez Capote, whom she described as a "drug addict and alcoholic," to the police. "This man, wielding a knife, chased my children and me through my house," she narrated. Nonetheless, the police dismissed her complaints, allowing the man to remain free.
When she tried to file another report after the fire, the authorities' response was unchanged. "I went to the third police station with my children, and they said it wasn't valid because I couldn't prove that the man set my house on fire," Suárez Rodríguez revealed. "I told them they would be responsible for anything that happened to me and my family."
Suárez Rodríguez believes her political activism is the real reason behind the authorities' inaction. "The fact is, I'm openly opposed to the regime, and they know it," she asserted during the interview. "They are sending these people, these social misfits, to harass me and my family. These individuals have free rein to do whatever they want, and we are in imminent danger."
Her testimony has sparked a wave of outrage on social media, with numerous users condemning the impunity enjoyed by aggressors in Cuba when victims lack regime support. "And then they wonder why people don't protest. If they try to kill a mother and her children and the police do nothing, what hope is there for anyone else?" one person remarked. "The world needs to keep seeing these reports; we must share and denounce these atrocities. The dictatorship protects criminals while imprisoning those who think differently," another user wrote.
The case of Yunisley Suárez Rodríguez underscores once again the vulnerability of families in Cuba and the use of covert repression to silence dissenting voices. While her husband remains imprisoned for posting a meme, she and her children continue to face the threat of further attacks without any effective response from the authorities.
Key Questions about the Arson Attempt in Cuba
What happened to Yunisley Suárez Rodríguez's home?
Her home was set on fire in an arson attempt while she and her three children were inside. They managed to escape with the help of neighbors.
How did the authorities respond to the incident?
The authorities dismissed her complaints, stating she lacked evidence to prove who was responsible for the arson.
Why does Yunisley Suárez Rodríguez believe the authorities are not acting?
She believes her political activism against the Cuban regime is the reason for the authorities' inaction, leaving her and her family vulnerable to attacks.