✊ Civil Resistance — Protest & Repression Map 1959–2026 · where resistance & repression are happening
⚠ Why this section is deliberately coarse
This is a human-rights record of publicly-reported events — it tracks where protest and state repression occur (province / town level), so we can see where resistance to the regime is strongest. It is intentionally not precise: no individual activists are located or named, no real-time positions, no planned actions. A precise, named map of dissident activity would be a gift to the regime's security services — so we document repression and resistance without creating a targeting list. Group attribution reflects public claims (UNPACU, Clandestinos, Autodefensas de Cuba, independents) only.✊ Logged events
38,705
public reports
🪧 Protest/strike
8,831
acts of resistance
🚔 Repression events
29,843
state response/detentions
📍 Provinces active
21/16
with logged events
🏴 Movements tracked
26
civil-society / opposition
📰 News-sourced
1,404
independent-press reports
🏴 Resistance Movements & Civil Society 26
recognized movements — listing documents & validates them as part of the human-rights record
Damas de Blanco
SUPPRESSED
▸ Human rights · 2003 · Havana
Women relatives of political prisoners; weekly silent marches.
👤 Berta Soler
detail
Formed in 2003 after the Black Spring crackdown, the Ladies in White march after Mass demanding the release of political prisoners; awarded the EU Sakharov Prize in 2005.
⚠ Members face routine 'acts of repudiation' and mass Sunday detentions.
Estado de SATS
SUPPRESSED
▸ Artists · 2010 · Havana
Cultural-political project for open debate.
👤 Antonio Rodiles
detail
A Havana project hosting debates, art and the #TodosMarchamos campaign for political-prisoner release.
⚠ Founder Antonio Rodiles beaten and detained; the project pushed underground.
UNPACU
SUPPRESSED
Unión Patriótica de Cuba
▸ Civil resistance · 2011 · Santiago de Cuba
Largest grassroots civil-resistance movement; nonviolent protest and mutual aid.
👤 José Daniel Ferrer
detail
Founded 2011 in Santiago de Cuba, UNPACU is the country's largest opposition movement, organizing nonviolent protest, food aid and documentation of repression.
⚠ Leaders repeatedly detained; José Daniel Ferrer imprisoned multiple times, including after 11J 2021.
Somos+
SUPPRESSED
▸ Political · 2013 · Havana
Youth-oriented pro-democracy movement.
👤 Eliécer Ávila
detail
Founded by Eliécer Ávila, Somos+ promotes a generational, technology-savvy push for democratic reform.
⚠ Members detained; Ávila harassed and his equipment seized.
MSI
SUPPRESSED
Movimiento San Isidro
▸ Artists · 2018 · Havana
Artists and intellectuals against Decree 349 censorship.
👤 Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
detail
Formed in 2018 in Old Havana's San Isidro district to oppose Decree 349's censorship of independent art; its 2020 hunger strike sparked the 27N movement.
⚠ Otero Alcántara and rapper Maykel Osorbo were jailed with multi-year sentences after 11J.
27N
SUPPRESSED
Movimiento 27N
▸ Artists · 2020 · Havana
Artist collective for freedom of expression.
detail
Born from the 27 November 2020 sit-in by ~300 artists outside the Culture Ministry demanding dialogue and an end to censorship.
⚠ Participants surveilled, detained and barred from travel.
Archipiélago
SUPPRESSED
▸ Civil resistance · 2021 · Havana
Citizen platform that organized the 15N civic march.
👤 Yunior García Aguilera
detail
A Facebook-organized platform that called the 15 November 2021 Civic March for Change; authorities blocked the march and besieged organizers' homes.
⚠ Founder Yunior García was besieged then forced into exile in Spain.
M-30-11
ACTIVE
Movimiento 30 de Noviembre Frank País
▸ Political · 1979 · Santiago de Cuba
Veteran opposition movement honoring Frank País.
detail
One of the older internal opposition movements, advocating peaceful democratic change since the late 1970s.
⚠ Members repeatedly imprisoned across decades.
CCDHRN
ACTIVE
Comisión Cubana de Derechos Humanos y Reconciliación Nacional
▸ Human rights · 1987 · Havana
Independent human-rights monitor; political-prisoner counts.
👤 Elizardo Sánchez
detail
The CCDHRN has documented political detentions and prisoner counts since 1987, providing one of the longest-running independent human-rights records on the island.
⚠ Members harassed and detained; reporting routinely censored.
MCL
ACTIVE
Movimiento Cristiano Liberación
▸ Political · 1988 · Havana
Christian-democratic movement; the Varela Project petition.
👤 Oswaldo Payá (founder, d. 2012)
detail
Founded by Oswaldo Payá in 1988, the MCL launched the Varela Project, a petition for a referendum on civil liberties that gathered tens of thousands of signatures.
⚠ Payá died in a 2012 car crash widely believed to be a state-engineered killing.
Directorio
ACTIVE
Directorio Democrático Cubano
▸ Exile support · 1990 · Exile
Exile group supporting internal nonviolent resistance.
detail
A Miami-based organization channeling support and visibility to nonviolent activists on the island.
Convivencia
ACTIVE
Centro de Estudios Convivencia
▸ Civil resistance · 2007 · Pinar del Río
Lay Catholic civil-society think tank in Pinar del Río.
👤 Dagoberto Valdés
detail
Founded by Dagoberto Valdés, Convivencia publishes proposals for a democratic transition and trains civil-society leaders.
⚠ Members face travel bans and surveillance; events disrupted.
FANTU
ACTIVE
Foro Antitotalitario Unido
▸ Civil resistance · 2010 · Villa Clara
Central-Cuba opposition coalition; hunger-strike activism.
👤 Guillermo Fariñas
detail
FANTU, led by Sakharov laureate Guillermo Fariñas in Santa Clara, coordinates opposition activity across Villa Clara.
⚠ Fariñas has endured dozens of hunger strikes and repeated detentions and beatings.
Damas de Apoyo / Ladies in Support
ACTIVE
▸ Human rights · 2010 · Havana
Women supporters marching alongside the Ladies in White.
detail
An auxiliary network of women who accompany the Ladies in White, expanding their weekly nonviolent witness.
⚠ Subject to the same Sunday detentions and acts of repudiation.
⚠ low-confidence — monitoring
Instituto Patmos
ACTIVE
▸ Religious freedom · 2013 · Villa Clara
Defends religious freedom and conscience.
👤 Mario Félix Lleonart
detail
An ecumenical initiative documenting violations of religious freedom and supporting persecuted pastors.
⚠ Affiliated pastors detained; founder forced into exile.
Cuba Decide
ACTIVE
▸ Political · 2015 · Exile
Initiative for a binding plebiscite on free elections.
👤 Rosa María Payá
detail
Led by Rosa María Payá, Cuba Decide campaigns internationally for a plebiscite to let Cubans decide on a transition to democracy.
⚠ Organizers on the island detained; campaign branded subversive by the state.
ASIC
ACTIVE
Asociación Sindical Independiente de Cuba
▸ Labor · 2016 · Havana
Independent labor union confederation.
detail
ASIC organizes workers outside the state-run CTC, documenting labor-rights abuses.
⚠ Organizers fired, detained and blacklisted.
MUAD
ACTIVE
Mesa de Unidad de Acción Democrática
▸ Political · 2016 · Havana
Coalition of opposition groups seeking a unified platform.
detail
MUAD unites multiple internal opposition organizations behind a common democratic-transition agenda.
⚠ Coordinators detained ahead of planned activities.
Prisoners Defenders
ACTIVE
▸ Prisoner advocacy · 2018 · Exile
Tracks Cuba's political-prisoner population.
👤 Javier Larrondo
detail
Madrid-based NGO publishing the most-cited monthly list of Cuban political prisoners, used by international bodies.
⚠ Its prisoner lists are used to document state repression at the UN and EU.
Clandestinos
ACTIVE
▸ Clandestine · 2020 · Havana
Anonymous direct-action collective; symbolic anti-regime acts.
detail
An anonymous network known for nighttime symbolic actions — painting slogans and defacing pro-government imagery — to puncture the climate of fear.
⚠ The state treats identified participants as serious criminal cases.
⚠ low-confidence — monitoring
Justicia 11J
ACTIVE
▸ Prisoner advocacy · 2021 · Exile
Documents and defends those detained in the 11 July 2021 protests.
detail
Justicia 11J maintains a public database of those arrested during and after the July 2021 protests, tracking sentences and prison conditions.
⚠ Volunteers face surveillance and threats; its data is suppressed on the island.
Autodefensas de Cuba
ACTIVE
▸ Clandestine · 2023 · Unknown
Emerging clandestine resistance network (low-confidence, monitor).
detail
A recently-claimed clandestine resistance network appearing on social media; details unverified and tracked at low confidence pending corroboration.
⚠ low-confidence — monitoring
Cubalex
IN EXILE
▸ Human rights · 2010 · Exile
Independent legal-aid and human-rights documentation center.
👤 Laritza Diversent
detail
Cubalex provides free legal information and documents rights violations; it relocated abroad after raids but continues casework on detentions.
⚠ Its Havana office was raided in 2016; staff interrogated and forced abroad.
OCDH
IN EXILE
Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos
▸ Human rights · 2016 · Exile
Madrid-based monitor of repression and socioeconomic rights.
detail
The OCDH publishes monthly tallies of arbitrary detentions and annual reports on the human-rights situation in Cuba.
⚠ Its monitors on the island operate under constant risk of detention.
Alzados del Escambray
HISTORICAL
▸ Armed (historical) · 1960 · Villa Clara
Historical anti-Castro peasant insurgency (1960–1965).
detail
The Escambray rebellion saw thousands of peasants take up arms against the new government; it was crushed in the 'Lucha Contra Bandidos' campaign.
⚠ Forced relocations of families to Pinar del Río followed the campaign.
Alpha 66
HISTORICAL
▸ Armed (historical) · 1962 · Exile
Historical Miami-based exile paramilitary organization.
detail
One of the longest-standing exile paramilitary groups, formed in 1962 and conducting raids against Cuba during the Cold War.
🧊 3D Resistance Timeline EXPERIMENTAL
province columns grow with cumulative events — drag to orbit
🗺 Resistance strength by province
| Havana | 11,129 | 8057 | |
| Matanzas | 2,798 | 2414 | |
| Santiago de Cuba | 2,049 | 1625 | |
| Guantánamo | 1,799 | 1613 | |
| Villa Clara | 1,620 | 1301 | |
| Camagüey | 1,068 | 800 | |
| Pinar del Río | 842 | 711 | |
| Artemisa | 823 | 663 | |
| Las Tunas | 812 | 618 | |
| Sancti Spíritus | 774 | 595 | |
| Ciego de Ávila | 744 | 639 | |
| Granma | 582 | 449 | |
| Holguín | 569 | 476 | |
| Mayabeque | 515 | 438 | |
| Cienfuegos | 301 | 239 | |
| Isla de la Juventud | 168 | 155 | |
| La Habana | 83 | 39 | |
| Santiago | 4 | 4 | |
| Camaguey | 1 | ||
| Habana | 1 |
🏴 By claimed group
| UNKNOWN | 36,630 |
| NEWS_REPORTED | 1,764 |
| Cubalex | 130 |
| SPONTANEOUS | 62 |
| INDEPENDENT | 27 |
| UNKNOWN | 21 |
| OCDH | 10 |
| ARMED_RESISTANCE | 10 |
| POLITICAL_PRISONERS | 9 |
| Movimiento San Isidro | 9 |
| UNPACU | 6 |
| Prisoners Defenders | 6 |
| spontaneous | 4 |
| Damas de Blanco | 4 |
| MANUAL | 3 |
| Cuba Decide | 3 |
| Justicia 11J | 2 |
| Convivencia | 2 |
| spontaneous / Patria y Vida | 1 |
| Instituto Patmos | 1 |
| UNKNOWN | 1 |
📈 Events per year
| 1959 | 7 | |
| 1960 | 6 | |
| 1961 | 7 | |
| 1962 | 5 | |
| 1963 | 2 | |
| 1964 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 6 | |
| 1966 | 4 | |
| 1967 | 1 | |
| 1968 | 2 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1970 | 2 | |
| 1971 | 3 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 11 | |
| 1981 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1985 | 1 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 2 | |
| 1988 | 2 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 2 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 3 | |
| 1994 | 8 | |
| 1995 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 3 | |
| 1997 | 5 | |
| 1998 | 6 | |
| 1999 | 526 | |
| 2000 | 611 | |
| 2001 | 502 | |
| 2002 | 547 | |
| 2003 | 833 | |
| 2004 | 695 | |
| 2005 | 522 | |
| 2006 | 654 | |
| 2007 | 999 | |
| 2008 | 1,204 | |
| 2009 | 1,971 | |
| 2010 | 1,673 | |
| 2011 | 1,775 | |
| 2012 | 1,590 | |
| 2013 | 1,481 | |
| 2014 | 1,482 | |
| 2015 | 2,113 | |
| 2016 | 2,209 | |
| 2017 | 1,716 | |
| 2018 | 1,482 | |
| 2019 | 1,498 | |
| 2020 | 1,140 | |
| 2021 | 1,802 | |
| 2022 | 1,297 | |
| 2023 | 1,317 | |
| 2024 | 1,800 | |
| 2025 | 1,904 | |
| 2026 | 3,259 |
| Date | Type | Province | Group | Summary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-23 | PROTEST | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | “Ya no son farmacias, son bazares”: reclamo de los enfermos en Holguín | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-22 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Denuncian golpiza a preso político Roilán Álvarez en la cárcel de Holguín | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-18 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | ¡Lluvia de octavillas en pleno centro de Holguín! | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-10-14 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Hasta diez años de cárcel por publicar contenido crítico en redes sociales | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-10-12 | PROTEST | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Caminos de libertad: Rompiendo el mito de la Revolución cubana | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-10-07 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Familia denuncia que preso político fue despojado de comida y pertenencias en cárcel de Holguín | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-07 | REPRESSION | Holguín | Cubalex | Caso el 4tico: las conclusiones fiscales evidencian restricciones a la libertad de expresión | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-07 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | EEUU condena la petición fiscal contra jóvenes de El4tico | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-06 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Cubano detenido con 29 millones de pesos en Holguín: su arresto causa dudas en redes sociales | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-03 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Piden hasta 10 años para los jóvenes del proyecto El 4tico | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-10-02 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Condenados a 15 y 14 años de prisión por otro robo de aceite dieléctrico en Moa | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-02 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Tras ocho meses en prisión, llega la petición fiscal para los creadores cubanos de El4tico | ↗ News |
| 2026-10-02 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | La Fiscalía cubana pide ocho y diez años para los creadores de El4tico | ↗ News |
| 2026-09-28 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | "Es un ensañamiento": padre de artista preso en Holguín reclama su liberación | ↗ News |
| 2026-09-21 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Hombre de Miami que pagaba a niños en Cuba por contenido ilegal es condenado a 27 años de cárcel | ↗ News |
| 2026-08-25 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Pese a condenas de más de 10 años de prisión, los robos de aceite dieléctrico se extienden a todo el país | ↗ News |
| 2026-08-24 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Detenido en Holguín un hombre acusado de agredir brutalmente a un niño de dos años | ↗ News |
| 2026-08-17 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Noticiero de Martí Noticias — -Preso político cubano José Ramón Solano Randiche pone fin a huelga de hambre tras semanas de protesta en una cárcel de Holguín. -Guillermo del Sol alcanza 61 días en huelga de hambre y crece la preocupación por su estado de salud. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-08-17 | STRIKE | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Noticiero Martí Noticias | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-08-17 | PROTEST | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Pintura roja sobre Fidel Castro: nueva acción de protesta contra la propaganda oficial | ↗ News |
| 2026-08-16 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Preso del 11J José Ramón Solano Randiche depone huelga de hambre tras reducirse su castigo — Tras semanas de una desgastante protesta que puso en riesgo su vida, el preso político holguinero José Ramón Solano Randiche depuso la huelga de hambre que sostenía en la Prisión Provincial de Holguín. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-08-10 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Preso político lleva más de cinco semanas en huelga de hambre — El preso político José Ramón Solano Randiche cumple más de 25 días en huelga de hambre en la Prisión Provincial de Holguín. Con esta protesta, exige ser restituido al régimen de menor severidad, beneficio que le fue revocado tras protestar por la cancelación de un permiso de salida reglamentario. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-08-09 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Familia de preso político cubano denuncia que régimen exige pasaje a Guyana para excarcelarlo — La familia del preso político Roilán Álvarez Rensoler denunció que las autoridades condicionan su traslado al aeropuerto y eventual salida hacia Guyana a la compra previa de un boleto aéreo, mientras el activista fue devuelto a la prisión de Holguín tras abandonar una huelga de hambre de 20 días. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-08-09 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Roilán Álvarez Rensoler de vuelta a la prisión de Holguín tras deponer huelga de hambre — Trasladan de prisión al activista Roilán Álvarez: autoridades exigen a la familia comprar un pasaje a Guyana como condición para su salida del país. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-08-05 | STRIKE | Holguín | Cubalex | Preso político del 11J José Ramón Solano cumple 23 días en huelga de hambre en Prisión Provincial de Holguín | ↗ News |
| 2026-08-04 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Familia desesperada por huelga de hambre de preso político en Holguín, su madre sufre un derrame cerebral — El preso político cubano Roilán Álvarez Rensoler cumple 19 días en huelga de hambre en la prisión “Cuba Sí”, en Holguín, mientras sus familiares temen por el deterioro de su salud y la falta de información oficial sobre su estado. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-07-27 | STRIKE | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Noticiero Martí Noticias | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-07-23 | STRIKE | Holguín | UNPACU | Preso político Roilán Álvarez Rensoler trasladado a celda de castigo y en nueva huelga de hambre | ↗ News |
| 2026-07-21 | DETENTION_WAVE | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Presionan con “cárcel o exilio” a preso del 11J de Holguín — Las autoridades cubanas presionan al preso político del 11J Yosvany Rosell García Caso para que abandone el país, denunció este martes su esposa, Mailín Rodríguez Sánchez, quien aseguró que el opositor rechazó la propuesta y reiteró su decisión de permanecer en Cuba. En declaraciones a Martí Noticias, Rodríguez Sánchez explicó que durante la llamad | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-06-09 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] “Expresarse no debería ser un delito”: Kamil Zayas, integrante de El4tico, envía carta desde prisión — El joven activista y creador audiovisual cubano Kamil Zayas Pérez hizo llegar desde prisión una carta manuscrita en la que denuncia la situación que atraviesa Cuba y llama a los ciudadanos a no renunciar a sus derechos, cuando se cumplen cuatro meses de su arresto junto al también integrante del proyecto independiente El4tico, Ernesto Ricardo Medin | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-06-02 | DETENTION_WAVE | Holguín | UNKNOWN | Three women (sisters + cousin of jailed activist Roilán Álvarez Rensoler) staged a protest in a Holguín park demanding his release; arrested hours later by State Security. Álvarez is on a 2nd hunger strike (~28 days, family fears fatal outcome). · 3 arrests | ↗ press |
| 2026-05-30 | STRIKE | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | Noticiero Martí Noticias | ↗ YOUTUBE |
| 2026-05-29 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Preso político Roilán Álvarez inicia nueva huelga de hambre en prisión de Holguín — El preso político Roilán Álvarez Rensoler inició una huelga de hambre el pasado 26 de mayo en la prisión provincial de Holguín, conocida como "El Yayal", luego de que las autoridades carcelarias le prohibieran el ingreso de alimentos que su familia le había llevado. La decisión fue tomada después de que el opositor fuera llevado a una celda de cast | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-05-29 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | [ES original; pending translation] Noticiero Martí Noticias — -El fiscal general interino de Estados Unidos afirmó que Washington hará “todo lo posible” para llevar a Raúl Castro a territorio estadounidense. -Preso político Roilán Álvarez inicia huelga de hambre tras prohibición de alimentos en prisión de Holguín. | ↗ USAGM_PRESS |
| 2026-05-23 | REPRESSION | Holguín | NEWS_REPORTED | La Policía de Holguín detiene a dos personas y cita al activista Noly Blak | ↗ News |
| 2026-05-21 | DETENTION_WAVE | Holguín | SPONTANEOUS | Pre-dawn home raid in Antilla, Holguín, by Cuban state agents detaining Yaquelín Thope Infante (now political_prisoners.id=1261) at 5:30 AM in retaliation for participation in peaceful protests in Antilla. Her son Israel Espinosa Thope is publicly demanding her release. Reported by Diario de Cuba (Annarella Grimal). One named arrest documented; broader Antilla protest cluster pending further reporting. · 1 arrests | ↗ IG_OSINT |
| 2026-05-20 | REPRESSION | Holguín | spontaneous / Patria y Vida | Massive night protest in Antilla, Holguín over blackouts and food shortages marched from the Flora neighborhood to PNR headquarters chanting 'Patria y Vida' and 'Abajo la dictadura'; regime special troops FIRED ON THE POPULATION. The town was militarized and internet cut the next day; at least six residents were arrested by name (Eusebio Martínez Matos, Jacqueline Tope Infante, Braulio Cuenca, Jenni Mone, Jaime Bosh, José Alberto Linet Ramírez). · 6 arrests | ↗ OSINT / opposition press |
| 2026-04-23 | PROTEST | Holguín | UNKNOWN | Protest activity reported — Manduley, HolguíCU, Cuba (6 media mentions) | ↗ Global News |
| 2026-03-20 | REPRESSION | Holguín | UNKNOWN | Repression / coercion reported — Jobabo, HolguíCU, Cuba (6 media mentions) | ↗ Global News |
| 2026-03-20 | PROTEST | Holguín | UNKNOWN | Protest activity reported — Jobabo, HolguíCU, Cuba (10 media mentions) | ↗ Global News |
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