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Journalist Henry Constantín detained in Cuba on ‘disobedience’ charge

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Journalist Henry Constantín detained in Cuba on ‘disobedience’ charge

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September 25, 2026, Miami—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Cuban government to release journalist Henry Constantín, director of La Hora de Cuba. Constantín has been detained since September 16 in Camagüey under investigation for alleged “disobedience,” according to La Hora de Cuba’s website.

Constantín, who is also vice president of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) for the region, remains detained at Villa María Luisa, the state security headquarters for operations and interrogations in Camagüey, according to local media reports.

Constantín’s defense lawyer filed a habeas corpus petition after he was ordered to be held under preventive detention. His lawyer told the media outlet 14 y Medio that he was unable to obtain the case file from the Prosecutor’s Office making it impossible to file an appeal.

Constantín is accused of failing to attend a police summons issued for September 9 and was arrested on September 16 after he showed up for a second summons at the Second Unit of the Revolutionary National Police. Constantín’s defense argues that his detention for disobedience is invalid under Cuban law, which stipulates that failure to attend a first summons is only punishable by a fine.

“Cuban authorities must immediately release journalist Henry Constantín and end their harassment of independent journalists,” said José Zamora, CPJ’s regional director for the Americas. “Detaining Constantín on a ‘disobedience’ charge while denying his lawyer access to the case file is an abuse of due process and yet another attempt to silence independent reporting.”

In a statement, La Hora de Cuba demanded Constantín’s release and “an end to the persecution of those who practice independent journalism.”

Constantín was previously detained in June 2025 and held for four days accused of an offense of “contempt” over a publication about the actions of a State Security agent. The case was never brought to trial.

He was also arrested briefly in July 2021 while covering island-wide protests against the government due to food shortages and electricity blackouts.

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