UNPACU activist detained while heading to a protest march

An activist Carlos Manuel Veranes Heredia was heading to Santiago de Cuba province to participate in a march conducted to demand the release of political prisoners and to end the repression against activists. At 5:40 am at the checkpoint in Caimanera, he was detained by police and State Security officials, all of them following orders issued by Lt. Col. Cantilo, State Security Chief in Caimanera. Carlos Manuel, along with the other activists in the bus, started protesting and expressed the opinion that the detention was carried out for no reason and without appropriate documents. For this reason the detention turned violent and all activist were driven to the police station. They were threatened there with imprisonment and several hours later released.