Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrives in US after prison
10 reported
Cuban dissident artist and musician Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in Miami on Saturday after being released from a five-year prison sentence on the condition that he leave Cuba. Alcántara, 38, was greeted at the airport by a cheering crowd who draped him in a Cuban flag printed with the words "Patria y Vida," the title of a song he shared a Grammy for that became an anthem for Cuba's political opposition. The United States granted him parole into the country earlier this week, according to a social media page maintained by his friends and supporters, who wrote that he accepted exile as the only way to escape persecution and continue his art and activism. Alcántara co-founded the San Isidro Movement, a group of Havana artists, writers and musicians. He was arrested on July 11, 2021, during a public protest and sentenced in 2022 to five years in prison for public disorder, contempt and disrespect toward national symbols. His arrest and incarceration had been denounced by human rights organizations and the U.S. government, with groups including Amnesty International calling him a political prisoner, an allegation the Cuban government rejected. Alcántara said he was held in a maximum-security prison and was expected to be released last week, but for days advocates said they could not contact him and did not know where he was. The organization Cubalex filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf Monday, and until he boarded a plane Saturday, his advocates were not sure of his location or if he was truly free.
What’s reported
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a Cuban dissident artist and musician, arrived in Miami on Saturday after being released from a five-year prison sentence on the condition he leave Cuba.
He was greeted at the airport by a cheering crowd who draped him in a Cuban flag printed with "Patria y Vida," the title of a Grammy-winning song that became an anthem for Cuba's political opposition.
The United States granted him parole into the country earlier this week, according to a social media page maintained by his friends and supporters.
He co-founded the San Isidro Movement, a group of Havana artists, writers and musicians.
He was arrested on July 11, 2021, during a public protest and sentenced in 2022 to five years in prison for public disorder, contempt and disrespect toward national symbols.
Human rights organizations including Amnesty International called him a political prisoner, an allegation the Cuban government rejected.
He was held in a maximum-security prison and was expected to be released last week, but advocates could not contact him for days.
Cubalex filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf Monday.
His advocates said fellow artist Maykel "Osorbo" Castillo Pérez remains imprisoned.
Alcántara brought from Cuba a broken statue of the Virgin Mary, which he described as a symbol of hope and healing.
Key figures
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Cuban dissident artist and musician, age 38
Maykel "Osorbo" Castillo Pérez, fellow artist and political prisoner
Cubalex, organization that filed a habeas corpus petition
Amnesty International, human rights group
Sources: NPR
