The US denounces the arbitrary detention of Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero in its campaign Prisoners Why?

The Cuban artist and activist,Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, was included in the US government's campaign Prisoners Why? which denounces the human rights violations of activists and peaceful opponents, and makes visible the situation of political prisoners in Cuba.

“The art of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, his undeniable fight for freedom of expression and his unwavering stance against autocracy show the power of resistance. “Art needs a value that he has repeatedly demonstrated,” the United States Embassy in Cuba quoted this Saturday on its Twitter account.

The words about the leader of theSan Isidro Movement (MSI) were expressed by the Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei, in his presentation of the Cuban artistas one of the '100 Most Influential People of 2021', the renowned list compiled each year by the prestigious North American magazine Time.

“Art needs courage, which he has repeatedly demonstrated. Your aesthetic needs a solid philosophical foundation and a strong sense of ethics; This has also been demonstrated. It is through these struggles for freedom of expression that art transcends the condition of banality and mediocrity," said Ai Weiwei about his Cuban colleague.

The only Latin American included among the most influential “icons” of 2021, Otero Alcántara shares the category with figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex; the Russian opponent Alexei Navalny; singers Britney Spears and Dolly Parton; or the athletes Naomi Osaka and Shohei Ohtani, among others.

This Tuesday, the United States Embassy in Cuba remembered on its social networks the activist, unjustly detained after taking to the streets of Havana duringthe historic protests of 11J, in which thousands of peaceful protesters demanded rights and freedoms from the Cuban regime, as well as for it to recognize the health and food emergency situation of the Cuban population.

“Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, isolated without due process. Instead of allowing witnesses to see prison conditions and allowing fair and timely trials, the Cuban government denies access and delays trials,” the US diplomatic legation denounced on September 14.

In its message, published on social networks, the US government explained that Otero Alcántara was arrested on July 11 in Havana and that he remains isolated, without a trial date, in the Guanajay maximum security prison.

“The activist is being prosecuted for the alleged crimes of aggression, resistance and contempt. “We call on the Cuban government to stop the arbitrary arrests of its people for exercising their freedom of expression!” said the US Embassy.

The Prisoners Why? campaign was launched at the United Nations, in New York City, on October 16, 2018, during the mandate of Republican Donald Trump, with the purpose ofdraw attention to specific cases of Cuban political prisoners.

“The approximately 130 political prisoners detained by the Cuban Government are an explicit sign of the repressive nature of the regime and represent a flagrant affront to the fundamental freedoms supported by the United States and many other democratic governments,” he indicated in hisstatement of presentation the Department of State.

Cuban opponents Félix Navarro and Esteban Rodríguez, the activistLuis Robles and the artistHamlet To stage, considered prisoners of conscience by different organizations, are some of the cases recently made visible by this campaign, which was resumed with force as a result of the repressive wave unleashed by the Cuban regime after the 11J protests.

“On July 11, thousands of Cubans peacefully protested for the rights and freedoms that all human beings deserve. Instead of listening to the voice of the people, the Cuban government reacted with violence, internet shutdowns and widespread arrests,” the US State Department's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs recalled in a tweet in early September.

“Eight weeks later, hundreds remain detained with little hope of a fair trial. As families and friends eagerly await news, join us through September 24 andRaise your voices in support of these political prisoners to ask #PrisonersWhy?”, the Biden administration proposed, in line with its policy of demanding that the regime cease violence and political persecution.