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The Cuban reggaeton artist Yosvanis Sierra Hernández, known professionally as Chocolate MC, could not contain his emotions upon hearing the jury's verdict that found him guilty of the charge of “writing or publishing direct threats” against Damián Valdez Galloso, the alleged perpetrator of the musician El Taiger's death.
The verdict, reached by a jury of seven individuals (four men and three women), was issued after less than an hour of deliberations, according to reports from Telemundo 51 and Univisión 23.
During the reading of the verdict, Chocolate "could not hold back his tears," the page cubanos_fashion_style reported on social media, which captures images of the artist visibly affected in the courtroom.
The video that changed the course of the case
According to the post on Instagram by journalist Javier Díaz from Univisión 23, the prosecution presented as a key piece of evidence a video in which the artist claims to have enough money and offers $100,000 to arrange the assassination of Valdez Galloso “in prison”.
That recording, originally shared on social media, was deemed by the jury as a direct and deliberate threat, which determined the guilty verdict.
The case will now move to the sentencing phase, under the direction of Judge Milton Hirsch, who had previously warned during the trial that the punitive framework could include life imprisonment.
"If the jury finds him guilty, he could face up to life in prison," the judge had stated at the beginning of the trial, making clear the legal weight of the crime.
The defense appealed to the history of addictions and mental health
The artist's family presented to the court a recorded video by Chocolate MC himself, in which he acknowledges having used crack since the age of 16 and having been admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana (Mazorra).
“I've been using crack since I was 16,” says the reggaeton artist in the recording, before adding that he was admitted to what he calls the “room with walls,” where —he claims— “Maradona was.”
The artist's relatives presented the video as direct testimony regarding his history of addiction and mental health, attempting to provide context for his behavior and arguing that the threats were the result of an altered emotional state, not a genuine intention to commit a crime.
A trial with significant media attention
The legal proceedings against Chocolate MC, which started on Monday in Miami, have generated significant media attention both in the Cuban community of South Florida and on the Island.
During the first day of the proceedings, Judge Hirsch directly asked the defendant if he understood the seriousness of the charges he was facing. The artist, serious and visibly tense, responded that he did.
The case has been marked by a climate of tension, with reported death threats against Valdez Galloso, which led the magistrate to increase security measures and publicly warn about the seriousness of the proceedings.
An uncertain ending
Now, the future of Chocolate MC depends on the ruling that the judge will issue in the coming days.
The artist, one of the most controversial and popular figures in Cuban reguetón, could face a significant sentence, while his family insists that his history of addiction and mental health should be taken into consideration.
The case reveals a complex reality: the downfall of an artist who went from being a symbol of the Cuban "reparto" to the central figure in a legal process that could change his life forever.
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