Artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara shared a video on his Facebook account, expressing a blend of outrage and restrained emotion as he recounted the hostile demonstration by Cuban diplomats at the United Nations headquarters in New York. He drew parallels between this event and the repression he faced in Cuba before his imprisonment.
The founder of the San Isidro Movement, who was exiled to the United States just three months ago after being expelled from Cuba in July 2026 following a five-year prison term, described entering the forum "Cuba Libre: The Oppression That Havana Hides"—organized by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz on October 19—and encountering a vocal crowd that he initially did not recognize as a hostile demonstration.
"Suddenly, it hit me that this was a hostile rally against us in the United States," he recounted.
The encounter triggered a visceral reaction: his mind transported him back to Havana, to the harassment he endured for years before his imprisonment.
"Imagine those people let loose in Havana. Imagine them with the full freedom to enter your home, even assault you, and destroy everything, because you’re unprotected in Havana," he said, addressing both the Cuban people and the international institutions present at the forum.
This comparison—the security he felt at the UN versus the total lack of protection for activists on the island—was at the core of his reflection. "They can't do anything right now; we're here in the place of freedom," he thought. Yet another thought quickly followed: "Imagine experiencing that while being completely defenseless in the beast's mouth. And how the beast bites, crushes, spits you out, chews you again, and breaks your bones with impunity."
Otero's words are not mere abstractions. Before his arrest on July 11, 2021, and a five-year prison sentence, he endured over 90 arbitrary detentions in less than three years, state-organized hostile demonstrations, raids, and hunger strikes. Amnesty International recognized him as a prisoner of conscience, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention deemed his imprisonment arbitrary.
The hostile demonstration at the UN was led by the Cuban delegation, headed by Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, who shouted "terrorists," "liars," and "get the terrorists out of the UN" at the forum's conclusion. Ambassador Waltz publicly condemned it as "a mob of Cuban regime diplomats at the UN harassing former political prisoners."
The regime's response was swift. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla dismissed Otero as a "criminal" and "circus artist" during a press conference, questioning even his artistic career. Otero chose not to respond to the insults, instead using them as an argument: "Those same figures who accuse us of being vulgar, of being street thugs, as they say, behave like this at the UN."
For the artist, the incident holds significance beyond the diplomatic scandal: it signals the regime's desperation and serves as a message of encouragement for those resisting within Cuba. "What we experienced at the UN is a reflection of how ugly and horrible the Cuban dictatorship is," he concluded.
The annual UN vote on the Cuban resolution against the embargo was scheduled for October 27 and 28, amid a decline in support for the resolution from 187 votes in 2024 to 136 in the extraordinary session of July 2026.
Key Insights into Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara's Experience
What triggered Otero Alcántara's emotional response at the UN?
Otero Alcántara's emotional response was triggered by the hostile demonstration by Cuban diplomats at the UN, which reminded him of the repression he faced in Cuba.
How did Otero Alcántara describe the Cuban regime's behavior at the UN?
He described it as a reflection of the Cuban dictatorship's desperation and criticized the regime's representatives for their hostile and undiplomatic behavior.
What was the significance of the UN incident for Otero Alcántara?
The incident highlighted the difference between the freedom experienced in the UN and the oppression in Cuba, serving as both a sign of the regime's desperation and encouragement for Cuban activists.