Ten Panamanians arrested in Cuba, accused of propaganda against the island's government, “are in appropriate conditions,” assured Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha this Friday. He also confirmed that he plans to travel to Havana to discuss the case with Cuban authorities. Cuba's Ministry of the Interior (Minint) reported on March 2 about the detention of the Panamanians, accused of painting critical graffiti against the Cuban government and political system in the island's capital. The idea, he said, is to find a solution within Cuba's legal framework that would resolve the situation of the Panamanian citizens. According to the accusation by Cuban authorities, the graffiti was allegedly made on February 28 and contained phrases such as “Down with tyranny,” “Communism: enemy of the community,” and messages of support for Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Mike Hammer, referring to the President of the United States, his Secretary of State, and the U.S. ambassador to the island. Minint maintained that the detainees were brought from Panama to create the signs with content considered subversive against the constitutional order of Cuba and that they would receive between $1,000 and $1,500 each upon returning to the country. For this case, the detainees could face sentences of up to 8 years in prison. Martínez-Acha explained that the Panamanian ambassador to Cuba, Edwin Pitty, has already visited the detainees and that consular cooperation and legal assistance are being provided while the process advances in that country. The minister also expressed his intention to travel to Havana to meet with the Panamanians and speak with the Cuban authorities.
