CubaNet journalist arrested and assaulted in Havana; equipment confiscated
Adelth Bonne Gamboa was arrested violently on Monday 2 June near his home in Santos Suárez. He was released hours later with a fine and without his equipment being returned.
Arrest and release of independent journalist Adelth Bonne in Havana
Journalist Adelth Bonne Gamboa, a contributor to cubanet.org, was violently detained on Monday 2 June at around 10:30 in the morning near his home in the Santos Suárez neighbourhood, in the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre. Police officers presented no documentation: they handcuffed him and placed him in patrol car number 519, which departed to a destination initially unknown to his relatives.
During the operation, police also assaulted his partner and attempted to snatch his telephone to prevent him from documenting the detention, according to a report received by CubaNet. At the time of his arrest, Bonne had left his home to search for an internet connection, after having been out of contact for several days. His dog, named Libertad, went missing during the operation.
Slap and tight handcuffs
According to Bonne's own account to cubanet.org after his release, a police officer slapped him for shouting "Down with the dictatorship!", a blow that nearly broke his glasses. "What hurt me most was that they took me with the handcuffs tight, cutting off my circulation from my home to El Cerro," he stated. The pressure from the handcuffs left visible marks on his wrists.
The authorities confiscated his laptop, microphone, two tripods, headphones, telephone and, according to his testimony, even some biscuits he was carrying in his backpack. He was not given documentation for the seized equipment. Additionally, he was imposed a fine under Decree-Law 370 for posts on social networks. Bonne was interrogated for approximately 45 minutes by Telecommunications agents, who threatened him again with imprisonment.
Weeks of threats prior to arrest
The arrest came after several weeks of harassment directly linked to his work for the independent press. On 20 October, Bonne was summoned to the Aguilera police station, where State Security agents demanded that he abandon his collaboration with CubaNet. They accused him of "mercernarism" and threatened to prosecute him for the alleged crime of propaganda against constitutional order. They also warned him that he would be confined to his home.
An agent identified only as "Rodrigo", a man presented as a psychologist and a uniformed officer who did not reveal his identity participated in that interrogation. Bonne stated that they showed him various documents, but that he did not sign any.
On 26 October, the journalist reported having received a new summons to appear on Wednesday 28 at the same police unit. According to his testimony, the delivery of the document was preceded by 16 calls from the same number. Bonne announced publicly that he would not attend.
History of pressure against the journalist
Pressure on Bonne has extended over several months. In December 2025, he suspended his collaboration with CubaNet following repeated threats against him, his mother and close associates. The political police had placed him before the choice of leaving the country or facing prison.
In January this year he was interrogated again following posts about Venezuela. In September, agents prohibited him from leaving his home to prevent him from attending a meeting at the United States Embassy in Havana.
Bonne was released hours after his detention, without his relatives having been able to determine his whereabouts during most of the time he was in custody. The confiscated equipment was not returned to him.
Source: Google News CU — La Habana