Cuban YouTuber Arrested After Publishing Video of Abandoned Cold War-Era Missile
Eddy Ceballos, 38, was detained Monday during a police raid and remains held without formal charges. His channel documented Havana’s infrastructure decay in the style of wildlife documentaries.
New York PostEddy Ceballos, a 38-year-old Cuban YouTuber, was arrested Monday during a police raid near his home in Havana. He has been held at a criminal investigation unit since his arrest and has not been formally charged with a crime. Ceballos runs the YouTube channel “Despingovery Channel,” a wordplay on the Discovery Channel.
He narrates videos in the deadpan style of wildlife documentary hosts like David Attenborough, documenting Havana’s decaying buildings, mounting trash dumps, and seismic potholes. ” On May 24 he published a video showing a rusty Cold War-era military munition abandoned in a field. ” The clip received 68,000 views on YouTube and 750 comments.
Prosecutors have threatened to charge Ceballos with “revealing military secrets” or “illegal entry into a military facility,” according to his family. ” Ceballos is the latest in a string of Cubans arrested for documenting deteriorating conditions on the island.
Anyelo Ramírez Martínez, 24, was arrested in March after filming authorities removing anti-government graffiti; his trial begins next week, with prosecutors seeking a four-year prison sentence.
Influencer Anna Bensi, 21, was placed under house arrest in March and denied internet access.
