We condemn the prosecutor's petitions against Otero and Osorbo.
Luis Manuel Otero on a panel on artistic freedoms in the world in Feb 25, 2021 as part of the Rewriting the Future Festival.
APRIL 7. 2022. Cuban rapper and two-time Latin Grammy Award winner Maykel Castillo Pérez (Maykel Osorbo) could face up to 10 years in prison and renowned artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara could face up to 7 years in prison, according to the request of the Prosecutor's Office, according to sources close to these artists.
“Renowned Cuban artists face several years in prison: Osorbo, 10, Alcántara, 7”
Democratic Spaces condemns prosecutors' requests for 7 and 10 years in prison for Cuban artists and human rights defenders Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Maykel Castillo "El Osorbo."
While the best of Cuba languishes in prison, the worst of that nation clings to power and deprives its people of the right to participate in free, fair, and multi-party elections.
In Cuba today, political imprisonment is the greatest human drama experienced by Cuban families. After the massive peaceful pro-democracy protests of July 11, 2021, Cuba, with more than 1,000 people behind bars for exercising their rights of free expression and association, became the country with the most political prisoners in the Americas.
Two of the most recent targets of the repressive wave, which includes arbitrary mass arrests, character assassination campaigns and show trials are artists Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, recognized in Time 100 among the most influential people in the world. Maykel Castillo, 'El Osorbo.' won the Grammy in the best song and contemporary song categories for "Patria y Vida" (Fatherland and Life).
The prosecution is asking 7 and 10 years in prison respectively for Luis Manuel Otero and Maykel Osorbo. Since Luis Manuel Otero co-founded the Museum of Dissent in 2016 and the San Isidro Movement in 2018, he has been arbitrarily arrested on more than 48 occasions and subjected to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in prison. On the last occasion that he went out to join the peaceful protests of 11J he was arrested and has been imprisoned ever since.
Maykel Osorbo has also been subjected for many years to constant police harassment, beatings, arbitrary arrests, and threats by the repressive forces. On April 5, 2021, Osorbo staged a massive protest in the San Isidro neighborhood that will be remembered for posterity. With police handcuffs still hanging from his right wrist, he raised his arms in demand of freedom and against the corruption and abuse of hand-picked president Diaz Canel.
Neither of these artists committed any crime other than exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful association. The prosecution is asking sentences that constitute serious violations of human rights. Their only crime was to demand "the right to have rights."
Democratic Spaces joins all pro-democratic civil society actors in Cuba and around the world and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Maykel Osorbo along with all Cuban political prisoners.
Michael Lima
Director of Democratic Spaces
