Christian de Jesús Crespo Álvarez, 16, is being held in Canaleta prison and his family does not receive direct information about his health status
14ymedio, Madrid, May 30, 2026 / Christian de Jesús Crespo Álvarez even had the food his family had brought to prison for him taken away. When the 16-year-old complained about the disappearance of his belongings at the Canaleta prison in Ciego de Ávila, he was beaten. Afterward, according to Cubalex, he was threatened with being sent to solitary confinement. Since then, his family has been unable to find out anything about his condition.
Christian is one of the minors detained after the March 13 protest in Morón, a demonstration sparked by blackouts, shortages, and mounting frustration in a city that ultimately became the scene of yet another repressive operation. His case joins those of other teenagers in Cuba who are treated as highly dangerous criminals for their opposition to the government.
According to the alert published by Cubalex, the young man was transferred from Canaleta prison to the Provincial Instruction Unit for further questioning. He remained there for approximately four days. Upon returning to the prison, he discovered that his belongings were missing, and his complaint ended in violence.
According to the alert published by Cubalex, the young man was transferred from Canaleta prison to the Provincial Instruction Unit
In his last communication with his family, the teenager said he wasn’t feeling well, that he was very down, and that his urine was dark in color, a symptom that raised alarms among his relatives.
The family later learned, indirectly, that Christian had been taken to the prison infirmary. However, they received no information about a diagnosis, treatment, or medical progress. They have also had no direct contact with him since the call in which the boy alerted them to his physical and psychological deterioration.
Cubalex maintains that Christian has suffered mistreatment at the hands of both other inmates and prison officials. The situation is especially serious because he is a teenager being held in conditions that the organization considers extremely vulnerable and lacking legal protection.
The minor is accused of sabotage, although, according to Cubalex, no formal charges have yet been filed. The accusation places the case in a highly serious legal context, despite the fact that the events originated during a social protest. The organization also reported that State Security continues to conduct forensic analysis based on videos posted on social media and recordings made by Communist Party officials during the demonstration.
The minor is accused of sabotage, although, according to Cubalex, there is no formal request from the prosecutor so far.
The pressure isn’t limited to Christian. Cubalex claims that the minors detained after the Morón protest are being subjected to constant interrogations to force them to confess to receiving payments for demonstrating and to record or sign statements of remorse. The organization alleges that the intention is to construct a political narrative that portrays a citizen protest as a foreign-funded operation.
At least four teenagers were identified by Cubalex among those detained for the events of March 13: Jonathan David Muir Burgos, 16; Christian de Jesús Crespo Álvarez, also 16; Kevin Samuel Echeverría Rodríguez and Yohasnel Estrada Rodríguez, both 17. All were caught in a penal machinery that the regime usually activates after protests: first the arrests, then incommunicado detention, later the exemplary accusations.
The case of Jonathan Muir had already raised concerns among international organizations. He, too, was accused of sabotage and sent to Canaleta prison. His family denounced the conditions of his confinement and the psychological impact of prison on a minor. Now, the complaint against Christian reinforces the suspicion that these are not isolated cases, but rather a practice aimed at intimidating other young people who might join future protests.
Cubalex demanded the immediate release of Christian and the other minors detained for exercising their rights. “Protest is not a crime,” the organization reiterated, also calling for an end to the isolation, violence, arbitrary punishments, and coercive interrogations of adolescents.
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