Artist and former political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has taken his stand against the Cuban regime to two significant locations in New York. On Monday, he addressed a gathering at the United Nations headquarters, and in a video released on Tuesday, he was seen protesting outside the Cuban Permanent Mission to the UN alongside María Werlau, founder and director of Archivo Cuba.
Having spent five years behind bars, the co-founder of the San Isidro Movement has called for international support to end the dictatorship and demanded the release of political prisoners still held on the island.
Global Support for Cuban Freedom
During the event titled "Cuba Libre: The Oppression Havana Hides," organized by the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations and chaired by Ambassador Mike Waltz, Otero Alcántara urged backing "not only from the U.S. government but from all governments worldwide" and from citizens dedicated to human dignity.
Otero Alcántara began his remarks by rejecting any attempt to frame the Cuban situation as a mere ideological debate. "We cannot talk about government, nor left nor right. We must talk about the fact that what exists in Cuba is a dictatorship," he stated.
Art as a Crime
The artist linked his imprisonment to the repression of independent creation and the Cuban people's right to choose their future. "Our only crime was making art," he said, recalling the persecution faced by artists connected to the "Patria y Vida" movement.
He noted that his sentence was five years, while rapper Maykel Castillo Pérez, known as Maykel Osorbo, received a nine-year sentence. Otero Alcántara also claimed to have been arrested over 90 times in less than three years before his incarceration.
"We are not talking about someone else's experience; this is my personal experience," he emphasized.
Repercussions Beyond Prison
Otero Alcántara highlighted that more than 31 artists are imprisoned in Cuba, citing the Cultural Rights Observatory, and placed these imprisonments within decades of persecution against artists, activists, and cultural managers. He also recalled the Black Spring and the harassment against Christian content creator Anna Bensi.
The artist stressed that reprisals extend to families of opposition figures. He denounced that his 16-year-old son remains in Cuba and is being pressured to join the military service.
He criticized the use of young recruits to suppress protests, stating they are threatened with jail if they refuse to act against their fellow citizens. Otero Alcántara also challenged the official narrative of free education and healthcare, claiming access and treatment are dependent on political alignment.
Inside the United Nations
At the event, which brought together dissidents, activists, former political prisoners, and experts to discuss repression, corruption, and forced labor allegations in Cuba, José Daniel Ferrer, founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, was among the participants.
The Cuban regime's delegation, led by Ernesto Soberón, disrupted the meeting with a protest against the attendees. Videos shared by Ferrer and later by Waltz captured chants of "terrorists," "liars," and "terrorists out of the UN."
In one recording, Soberón can be heard accusing the American representative, "You are a liar, Mr. Waltz," while others repeated the accusation.
Confronting the Cuban Mission
In the video shared on Tuesday, Otero Alcántara and María Werlau protested in front of the Cuban Permanent Mission to the United Nations with signs reading "Down with the dictatorship" and "Get out."
"It might seem like a small thing, but this is important. We can't waste a minute. Every minute wasted is another minute of dictatorship," the artist declared outside the diplomatic mission.
Werlau criticized the resources allocated to the diplomatic apparatus while the Cuban populace suffers basic shortages. She pointed out that Cuba has 47 diplomats accredited to the United Nations and accused the regime of using this presence to influence, buy support, and blackmail for its interests.
"When in Cuba, there isn't even enough to collect the garbage or a single aspirin in hospitals," she lamented.
Key Questions about Otero Alcántara's Fight
Why did Otero Alcántara oppose the Cuban regime at the UN?
Otero Alcántara sought to bring international attention to the dictatorship in Cuba and to demand the release of political prisoners.
What was the reaction of the Cuban delegation at the UN event?
The Cuban delegation, led by Ernesto Soberón, disrupted the event by accusing participants of being "terrorists" and "liars."
How does Otero Alcántara view the Cuban government's treatment of education and healthcare?
He criticizes the regime for conditioning access to these services based on political allegiance, challenging the narrative of free education and healthcare.