Human rights defender detained at the police checkpoint and threatened

In the early morning, 20 February 2020, Henry Couto was on his way to Santiago de Cuba where he planned to visit the headquarters of the Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU). However, the vehicle he was traveling in was detained at the police checkpoint. When the officers checked the passengers, Henry was told to get off and was taken to premises which serve there as prison cells. Then, an official known as Víctor Víctor arrived on his Suzuki motorbike and threatened Couto with a fine for trying to travel outside the province, which was forbidden for him. Henry Couto asked why and the official replied, using offensive expressions that his travel status was regulated. He also told him: "You are not going to Santiago to meet up with Ovidio Martín Castellanos and do not look for things which are not intended for you." After that, he took Couto out, and put him in a random public car which was passing by, asking the driver to take Couto to the Guantánamo Terminal. The official followed the car on his motorbike during all the way to Guantánamo and when Couto got off, he said: "Be careful now, at this place anything can happen to you," meaning the checkpoint.