Video shows Cuban protester being shot by police in front of his family

The man’s wife and young children were at home during the raid

A man has been beaten and shot in front of his wife and children by Cuban government forces, according to video circulating on social media.

A video apparently recording the violence is circulating on social media, showing a raid on the home in Cárdenas, east of Havana. According to The Miami Herald, Marbely Vásquez said security officers broke into her home on Tuesday morning and shot her husband, Daniel Cárdenas Díaz, 34.

The footage shows her shouting “My children are here, my children, my children, my children” as officers break down a door.

Armed special forces agents and a dog force their way into the home, and moments later, the clip shows a pool of blood on the floor of the living room of the house. The shooting is not recorded.

Ms Vásquez said her husband was beaten and shot at least once. Then, she said, “[the agents] entered my bedroom when I was with my children.”

She has two-year-old twins and a 12-year-old boy, according to The Miami Herald.

Mr Cárdenas was taken to Santa Marta police station in Varadero, where his cousin Orlando León says he is being held incommunicado.

A Cuban news report on Wednesday evening cast doubt on the depiction of events on the video, and accused Mr Cárdenas of breaking into a government store. It showed him on camera being interrogated by police.

Ms Vásquez says Mr Cárdenas had been at the anti-government demonstrations at the weekend that took place across Cuba, and was adamant: “He didn’t hurt anyone or do anything.”

Other videos showing police brutality against demonstrators have been shared this week, after Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel had called for “any means necessary” to be used against protesters.

Information from the island has been limited as Cuban authorities have restricted access to social media and messaging platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp following the protests.