Cuban activist prevented from leaving the country

On February 15, activist Lidier Hernández Sotolongo and his wife checked their luggage at José Martí International Airport to board their flight back to Uruguay. When the activist showed up at the cabin, they were informed that they had to wait. The activist did not take even three steps before a plainclothes officer immediately asked him to accompany them to an office where he introduced them to an officer who identified himself as Major Angel and told the victim that he was the head of immigration at the airport. This officer informed him that he would not be able to fly because the system contained a ban on leaving the national territory and that he had to find out about his legal situation in Cuba. On Monday, February 17, the victim traveled to Cienfuegos in the company of a cousin, who accompanied him for fear of what might happen to him. They arrived at the immigration offices around 10 a.m. where the victim asked to see the immigration inspector. After waiting for several hours, the state agent finally attended to him but did not tell the victim how long he had been regulated, or since when, or why he was not allowed to leave. After several detours, he told the activist: "compadre, you know that if we know that you are going to make demonstrations in Uruguay, we can prohibit you from leaving Cuba".