Cuba Gives Influencer and Mother Two-Year Non-Custodial Terms Over Video
CUBA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —The country Cuba is a one-party communist state in the Caribbean. A deep economic crisis has brought long blackouts and food shortages, frequent subjects of critical posts online.
- —The background Anna Bensi, full name Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, is a 21-year-old content creator from Alamar, in eastern Havana. Since September 2025 she has posted videos about blackouts, inflation, low pay and food shortages.
- —Why now In March her mother filmed a police officer who came to their home with a summons, and Bensi posted the video. The officer later filed a private criminal complaint.
- —What happened On Thursday 1 October the Havana East Municipal People’s Court found both women guilty of offences against personal privacy and image. Each received two years of “limitation of liberty”.
- —Who is who The co-defendant is her mother, Caridad Silvente Laffita. Their lawyer is Roberto Ortega; Judge Zamira Marrero Morgado presided.
- —What it means for you The sentence is not prison. It restricts movement and residence, and their lawyer says it includes a ban on leaving the country.
- —Still open The written ruling, due in about 15 days, and whether the women appeal. They have 10 working days after notification.
Anna Bensi, a 21-year-old Cuban content creator who criticises the government online, was convicted in Havana on Thursday 1 October. Her mother was convicted with her, over a video of a police officer that Bensi posted in March.
The court sentenced each woman to two years of “limitation of liberty”, a penalty served outside prison. “This really is an injustice,” Bensi told reporters after the hearing, the news agency EFE reported.
Who Anna Bensi is
Bensi’s full name is Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente; “Bensi” is the name she uses on social media. She lives in Alamar, a district of large housing blocks in the Havana East municipality.
She trained as a dental-prosthetics technician. In September 2025 she began posting about blackouts, inflation, low wages and food shortages, the daily face of Cuba’s economic crisis.
She describes herself as a Baptist Christian and an anti-communist, Periódico Cubano reported.
From a doorstep video to a trial
On 10 March 2026 a police officer came to the family’s home to deliver a summons. Her mother, Caridad Silvente Laffita, filmed him as he showed his identity card, and Bensi posted the video.
According to the court, the footage captured the officer’s name, identity number, photograph and address.
Thousands of comments followed. Some contained “offensive, degrading and threatening words against the officer and his relatives”, according to a court statement reported by CiberCuba.
Both women were charged on 25 March and placed under house confinement with a ban on leaving the country. On 9 April they received a visit from the then US chargé d’affaires in Havana, Mike Hammer.
On 13 April the Havana provincial prosecutor’s office closed the case. On 6 July Bensi said it had been reopened after the officer filed a private complaint, Periódico Cubano reported.
A trial set for 17 September was postponed. It finally took place on 1 October at the Havana East Municipal People’s Court, sitting in Cojímar.
What the sentence means
The offence falls under Article 393 of Cuba’s penal code. It covers acts against personal and family privacy, a person’s image and voice, and identity data.
In August, Periódico Cubano reported a possible range of two to five years in prison.
“Limitation of liberty” is served without detention. The women must obey the law, appear in court when summoned, and not move house or leave their province without permission.
Their lawyer, Roberto Ortega, told EFE that a person serving it “leads a normal life”. The law’s rules still apply, he said, “such as the ban on leaving the country”.
According to Bensi, the complainant’s lawyer had asked for a two-year prison term for her. The court imposed the non-custodial sentence instead.
The government’s case and the reactions
The court said both sides had appointed lawyers and that the trial respected “constitutional rights and due process at all times”. Bensi’s sister said only one witness was allowed in, CiberCuba reported.
The Ministry of the Interior posted a message that did not name the case. “A court case is not decided on social media,” it said.
“Filming is not a crime; spreading it without consent can be,” the ministry added.
The US Embassy in Havana posted: “Thinking differently is not a crime.”
The legal-aid group Cubalex argued that filming officials on public duty is legitimate. In its view, Article 393 should not apply to state agents.
At least two religious activists were detained on their way to the court, CiberCuba reported. About 30 religious representatives sang outside, according to EFE.
What comes next
The verdict was given orally. Ortega said the written ruling will follow in about 15 days.
The women then have 10 working days to appeal, to the Havana Provincial People’s Court.
The ruling does not send either woman to prison. It does leave them under court supervision for two years and, according to their lawyer, unable to leave Cuba.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anna Bensi?
Anna Bensi is the social-media name of Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, a 21-year-old Cuban content creator from Alamar in eastern Havana. She posts videos criticising blackouts, inflation, low pay and food shortages.
Why was she convicted?
In March she posted a video, filmed by her mother, of a police officer delivering a summons. It showed his name, identity number and address. A Havana court found both women guilty on 1 October of offences against privacy and personal image.
Is Anna Bensi going to prison?
No. She and her mother each received two years of “limitation of liberty”, a non-custodial sentence. It restricts movement and residence, and their lawyer says it includes a ban on leaving Cuba.
Can the verdict be appealed?
Yes. The written ruling is expected in about 15 days. The women then have 10 working days to appeal to the Havana Provincial People’s Court.
Sources: EFE via Infobae, Havana court finds Anna Bensi and her mother guilty, 1 October 2026, OnCuba (EFE), 1 October 2026, CiberCuba, court statement on the trial, 1 October 2026, CiberCuba, sentence and Bensi’s account, 1 October 2026, Periódico Cubano, case background, 12 August 2026, Periódico Cubano, US Embassy message, 1 October 2026. All retrieved 2 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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