At least four minors were detained by Cuban authorities following a fire that broke out on the night of June 21 at the Orlando "Olo" Pantoja Tamayo Memorial House, commonly known as the Maffo Museum, in Contramaestre, in Cuba's southeastern Santiago de Cuba province, according to the human rights organization Cubalex.
Cubalex identified four of those detained as José Ángel Borrero Zorrilla, 17; José Jorge Menéndez Vázquez, 17; Luis Alberto Leyva, approximately 20; and Yordi Daniel Gómez Aguilar, 21. Two other minors were also taken into custody, although their identities have not yet been confirmed.
Authorities allege the detainees were involved in the fire, according to Cubalex, which said it is unaware of any evidence supporting those accusations. The legal aid organization also reported that some of those arrested have been transferred to the Operations and Criminal Instruction Center in Versalles, Santiago de Cuba, where they remain incommunicado without official information about their legal status, raising concerns about due process, particularly because several of the detainees are minors.
The February 24 Movement, a clandestine youth group that emerged in Contramaestre following anti-government protests in October 2025, claimed responsibility for the fire in a social media post.
As the building burned, a crowd gathered nearby and chanted slogans calling for "electricity and freedom," reflecting growing public frustration over prolonged power outages, food shortages and Cuba's deepening economic crisis.
The group's stated mission is to challenge Cuba's communist government through acts of civil resistance, according to its public statements.
Since its emergence, it has distributed anti-government leaflets and posted protest banners in Baire, Maffo and Contramaestre. It also claims to have exposed alleged corruption involving local officials, including Mayor Karel Vázquez and Manuel Alfaro, the former president of the Municipal Assembly, who was later removed from office.
Cuban authorities have not publicly commented on the detentions reported by Cubalex or released any information about the investigation into the fire.
