---
title: "Panama hires Cuban lawyers to defend detained citizens in Havana"
date: 2026-04-16
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-hires-cuban-lawyers-detainees-havana/
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "Cuba"
  - "detained citizens"
  - "foreign ministry"
  - "Havana"
  - "legal defense"
  - "Panama"
---

# Panama hires Cuban lawyers to defend detained citizens in Havana

## What Happened

The Panamanian government has hired four Cuban lawyers, through its embassy in Cuba, to strengthen the legal defense of ten Panamanians detained in Havana since late February. The detainees were arrested on Feb. 28, 2026, and are being investigated in Cuba over accusations tied to graffiti critical of the government.

Cuban authorities say the group was detained for alleged “propaganda against the constitutional order” and claim they were creating subversive signs. The case has placed Panama’s diplomatic mission in direct contact with the detainees and with Cuban authorities as the legal process moves forward.

## Legal Defense and Diplomatic Efforts

The lawyers have been formally assigned to represent the Panamanian citizens throughout the Cuban criminal process, from the investigative stage through any eventual conclusion. Their role is to protect the detainees’ rights and ensure that procedural guarantees under Cuban law are respected.

Panama’s ambassador to Cuba, Edwin Pitty, visited the group on March 4 at Villa Marista, the detention center in Havana used for cases involving national security. During that visit, he delivered toiletries and medicines to help cover basic needs while the legal case advances.

Later, on March 25, Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha traveled to Havana and met with the ten detainees. After the visit, he said the Panamanians were receiving humane treatment during the proceedings. He also met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and President Miguel Díaz-Canel as part of Panama’s diplomatic effort to seek a resolution that balances humanitarian concerns with Cuba’s legal framework.

## Families and Next Steps

Panama has also asked Cuba to authorize visits from the detainees’ family members, seeking to reduce the emotional strain of the detention and keep relatives in contact with them while the case remains unresolved.

Among those detained are José Luis Aguirre, Patrochiny Joseph, Omar Urriola, Víctor Manuel Cedeño Pinzón, Anthony Jules, Evelyn Castro, Cinthia del Carmen Camarena, Abigail Stephany Gudiño Castro, Adalberto Antonio Navarro Asprilla, and Maykol Jesús Almendra Pérez. All remain under custody as the investigation continues.

The case has become a diplomatic issue between Panama and Cuba, drawing in Panama’s Foreign Ministry, embassy officials, and local attorneys in an effort to defend the citizens and manage the situation through legal and humanitarian channels.