A human rights activist detained after his peaceful protest against his retirement situation

Rolando Mesa Benítez cooperates with the United Anti-Totalitarian Forum (FANTU) in the Guantánamo Province. On 22 June 2021, he was detained at home in a joint operation of the State Security (DSE) and police. A day prior to his detention, Mesa Benítez had painted and placed on his house a poster which was saying “In Cuba, there are many helpless people and I am one of them”. Mesa Benítez carried out this civic action due to his personal situation. He worked for more than 40 years, but he is still not able to retire and receive a pension. The reason is that he had lost two of his work contracts so he is now not able to prove to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security that he really fulfilled the necessary number of years worked. Mesa Benítez was released at about 4 pm on the same day without any further consequences.