2021 is leaving, a year that leaves a trail of feats and aspirations, of conquests and postponed dreams for Cuba and the Cubans, on the island or in the multiple geographies where our compatriots have come to fulfill their desires for a better life and a promising future.
The daily events that mark milestones in the history of a country are always marked by the commitment, talent, courage, clumsiness or malice of individuals destined to impose their mark, more or less transcendent. They are the faces that also give identity to a political initiative, a scientific discovery, a heroic sporting triumph or an emblematic song, a social outbreak, an era.
The contribution of Cubans could not be more diverse and widespread in these times. In a country that has been plagued by political excesses, government inefficiency, exoduses, shortages and forgetfulness, its citizens have proven to be virtuous, tenacious and diligent in overcoming obstacles and undertaking the most unthinkable challenges.
These are some of the faces that occupied leading spaces on the Cuban map in 2021.CyberCuba has made this selection seeking to reflect the diversity of contributions, trends and behaviors that make up today's Cuba. A turbulent, painful, uncertain scenario, but also with hopeful signs of change and citizen dignity.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
Artist and activist. Leader of the San Isidro Movement. Imprisoned since last July 11 in a maximum security prison in Artemisa, accused of alleged crimes of aggravated contempt, instigation to commit a crime and public disorder. Selected by Time magazine among the 100 most influential global personalities of 2021.
Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez
Rapper and activist, founding member of the San Isidro Movement. Arrested on May 18, he currently remains in the Kilo Cinco y Medio prison, in Pinar del Río, under accusations of attack, public disorder and evasion. Performer of the song "Patria y Vida", winner of two 2021 Latin Grammy Awards. First musician in the history of the Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards to be recognized with two awards while in prison.
Patria y Vida creative team: Yotuel Romero, Beatriz Luengo, Descemer Bueno, El Funky, Gente de Zona, Maykel Osorbo and Yadan González (musicians) / Asiel Babastro and Anyelo Troya (video makers)
The song and video released on February 16, 2021 were the fruit of harmonious work by artists inside and outside Cuba. "Patria y Vida" managed to captivate the Cuban and international public with its contagious music, the unique message of its lyrics, and the charisma and talent of its creators. Its impact has been global. Winners of two awards for Best Urban Song and Best Song of the Year at the 2021 Latin Grammy, the face of this artistic and patriotic triumph for the future of Cuba is collective.
Luis Robles
IT andprisoner of conscience. In prison since December 2020, when he took part in an iconic protest in Havana. His action became a symbol and inspiration, inside and outside Cuba, to demand a democratic change to the Cuban regime. He is accused of enemy propaganda, resistance and "other acts against State Security", with a prosecutor requesting six years in prison. He has suffered repeated isolation in punishment cells, humiliation and violence and has been denied at least four changes of measure.He was tried in the Municipal Court of Marianao, in Havana, on December 16 and the sentence is still pending.
Esteban Rodriguez
Activist and independent reporter for the ADN Cuba site. Detained since April 30 for participating in a peaceful protest on Obispo Street in Havana, in favor of the leader of the San Isidro Movement, Luis Manuel Otero. Prisoner in the Combinado del Este in Havana. He is affected by his asthma and kidney problems. He has gone on hunger strikes in prison and has been infected with COVID-19 twice, which has weakened his health.
Mijain Lopez
Greco-Roman style wrestler. Four-time Olympic champion. He was crowned champion at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the highest winner of Olympic gold medals in the history of his sport. Five-time world champion and five-time Pan American champion. Athlete of the Year in Cuba and Best Male Athlete of the Year in Latin America (Prensa Latina survey). Considered the best Greco-Roman gladiator of all time.
Julio César de la Cruz
Heavyweight boxer. Two-time Olympic champion and five-time winner of the world champion title. Gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, after defeating his compatriot Enmanuel Reyes Pla, who competed representing Spain, in qualifying rounds. The fight was colored by political confrontation, with De la Cruz proclaiming his affiliation with the official motto of "Homeland or Death" versus "Homeland and Life." He made history by having won two Olympic titles in two different divisions (heavyweight and light heavyweight).
Idalys Ortiz
Judoka of the super complete division. Former London 2012 Olympic champion. Silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in which she participated without adequate preparation, after the death of her father and having fallen ill with coronavirus. Winner of four Olympic medals since 2008. Athlete of the Year (female) in Cuba. Considered the best Latin American judoka in history.
Gabriela Zequeira
Accounting student, 17 years old. 9/11 protester. Arrested,interrogated and victim of humiliating treatment during his detention in a Havana prison. Sentenced to eight months in prison, commuted to house confinement. One of the emblematic faces of the violation of rights against minors due to government repression.
Rolando Remedios
Health Sciences student and content writer, 26 years old. 9/11 protester.Arrested and charged for participating in protests. His photo in front of the Capitol, screaming while beingaclawed by the neck by police officers to be introduced into a patrol car became the iconic image of the 9/11 demonstration. He was charged with public disorder, spread of epidemics, and attack, but the case was filed after November 15.
Tania Leon
Composer, orchestral director and teacher. She emigrated to the United States in 1967 and is recognized as one of the personalities of concert music worldwide. 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his work Stride, described as "a musical journey full of surprises, with powerful brass and rhythmic motifs that incorporate the traditions of black music from the United States and the Caribbean into a Western orchestral fabric." He resides in New York.
Eduardo D. Rodríguez
Cuban-American doctor. Born in Miami to Cuban exiled parents. Plastic and reconstructive transplant surgeon. Successfully developedthe first simultaneous hand and face transplant in the same patient, leading a team at NYU Langone Health, where Hansjörg Wyss chairs the Department of Plastic Surgery.
David Fernandez Rivas
Cuban researcher, professor at the University of Twente, Netherlands. He marked a milestone in 2021 with his work in creatinga method of injecting without needles, which earned him the 2021 Prince Friso award, awarded by the Royal Institute of Engineers (KIVI), an award that accredited him as Engineer of the Year in the Netherlands.
Yunior García Aguilera
Playwright and civic activist. Founder ofArchipelago, a citizen digital platform from which it generated a plural space for political and social discussion about the Cuban reality. Protagonist of the 27N demonstration in front of the Ministry of Culture and arrested during the 11-J demonstrations. Main promoter of the 15N protest, prohibited by the Cuban regime, which led to threats against him and harassment in his family home. He left the country for Spain on November 16, sparking controversy among his supporters and causing a split in the Archipelago.
Karla Perez
Journalist, 22 years old. She received political refuge in Costa Rica after being prevented from entering Cuba, when she was preparing to travel to her country last March. Expelled from the Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas, in 2017, for her collaborations in the independent press. He received a scholarship from the Costa Rican newspaper El Mundo to finish his degree in San José. The Cuban regimeprohibited entry considering that it is"an instrument for destabilizing actions against Cuba."
Saily González Velázquez
Philologist, businesswoman and civic activist. Promoter of the Civic March for Change on 15N, convened by the Archipiélago platform, of which she was coordinator. From that group and through social networks he has developedintense activism, which has positioned her as one of the visible figures of dissidence against the Cuban regime and in favor of democratic change in Cuba.
Iliana Hernandez
Civic activist andreporter ofCyberCuba. Besieged for months by State Security in her home, detained on several occasions, defamed in the official media and victim of a fabricated case for alleged "forgery of documents", dismissed at the end of the year. Your legal claimagainst the Ministry of the Interior due to the immigration regularization that has prevented him from leaving the national territory since March 2018, was rejected for the third time by the Supreme Court. He was among those quartered in San Isidro in November 2020.
Yoandi Montiel Hernández,The Cuban Cat
Youtuber, activist and political prisoner. Imprisoned since last April 12 in the Valle Grande prison, in Havana, for his direct comments on the reality of Cuba, in which he recounted the latest news from the country with humor and sarcasm and questioned its leaders. Accused of contempt for "verbally attacking the president" in his videos, with aprosecutor's request for five years in prison.
Carolina Barrero
Art curator and activist. He participated in the peaceful protest on 27N in front of the Ministry of Culture.Harassed and subjected to a regime of police surveillance in Havana by State Security, which prevents him from leaving his house. During the year he was under continuous harassment, summonses, interrogations, internet shutdowns and threats of jail. In his multiple arrests he has been a victim of physical and verbal violence. His name appears on the "Power 100" list of a British magazineArt Review, which includes her in its ranking of the 100 most influential personalities and groups in the art world in 2021.
Tania Bruguera
Visual artist, activist and university professor. He suffered continuous police harassment at his residence in Havana for being part of the group 27N for democracy and free art in Cuba. Selected one of the 25 most powerful women of 2021 by the magazinePeople in spanish. Appointed full professor by Harvard University and awarded the prestigious Velázquez Prize, awarded annually by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. He led the boycott of the XIV Havana Biennial in protest of the repression against artists in Cuba. She received the Arnold Bode Prize from the City of Kassel, Germany, together with the Hannah Arendt Institute of Artivism (INSTAR), founded by her.
Jose Daniel Ferrer
Political prisoner of the Cause of the 75 and leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). Sentenced to four and a half years of house confinement in April 2020. He was arrested for joining the 11J demonstrations in Santiago de Cuba and is currently in the Mar Verde prison, from where he has denounced humiliation, medical neglect and retaliation against his relatives. He has been held in a walled-off cell and telephone calls have been limited to a minimum. His health is deteriorating, with a bleeding gastroduodenal ulcer and kidney problems. Members of the European Parliament and political leaders in the United States have called on the Cuban regime for his immediate release.
Cimafunk
Musician. His name is Erik Alejandro Iglesias and his label is Afro-Cuban funk. In July,canceled his concerts in Paris in solidarity with the protesters repressed and imprisoned after the massive protests of 11-J in Cuba. Your diskThe food was selected by the magazineRolling Stones as one of the 50 best of 2021 and his song "Funk Aspirine" with George Clinton was included in the playlist ofThe New York Times. At the beginning of the year he revolutionized social networks with the Cun Cun Pra Challenge and has had a busy schedule of concerts in Europe and the United States.
Hamlet To stage
Visual artist and former prisoner of conscience. He was arrested in Havana in June, after returning from a residency at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin. He served three months in prison in Cuba after being accused of "incitement to commit a crime" for his idea of intervening in Cuban banknotes to support the causes of the San Isidro Movement and 27N and draw attention to the repression of artistic freedom in Cuba. Becoming one of the emblematic faces of young Cuban art with political themes, his imprisonment became a high point for a flourishing movement of artists seeking freedom of creation in the country. He was released in September and forced into exile in Poland with his partner, the artist and activist Katherine Bisquet.
Andy García's family
From Santa Clara, the family of activist Andy García, imprisoned after the social outbreak of 11J, has stood up. Andy's sister, Roxana García Lorenzo, her boyfriend Jonathan López and other family members have raised their voices to denounce the imprisonment and violation of the rights of the young detainee.The family had the initiative to create the platform "Help the Brave of 11J", through which they raise funds to bring food to political prisoners in Cuba. The family's firm and defiant attitude has become a symbol of civic resistance against the injustices committed by the Cuban regime and its jailers.
Anamely Ramos González
Art curator, researcher and academic. He was quartered in San Isidro in November 2020. Since then and throughout this year, both in Cuba, Mexico and the United States, he has carried out tenacious work in defense of political prisoners such as Maykel Osorbo, Luis Manuel Otero, Esteban Rodríguez and the 9/11 protesters, especially the minors that the regime keeps in prison. Member of the San Isidro Movement, included in 2021 in the ranking of the 100 most influential art people and groups in the world.
Daniela Rojo
Varona Civic activist, coordinator of the Archipiélago citizen platform. Because of her activism, she has been harassed, violated, and arrested by the regime's repressive forces on multiple occasions. Arrested after demonstrating on June 11 in Regla, she is currently facing a prosecutor's request for five years in prison. In the days before the 15N civic protest, they kept her whereabouts unknown for almost a week to prevent her participation. He carries out notable citizen activism from his social networks.
Daymé Arocena
Singer. She was one of the artists who condemned the repression deployed by the government on July 11 and joined the train of songs for change in Cuba with "Todo por ti" alongside Pavel Urquiza, a song that earned herattacks by former Minister of Culture Abel Prieto and lackeys of the regime who called her "ungrateful for the revolution." In November, she became the youngest Latin American singer to complete the Signature Artist Program at Berklee College, one of the most prestigious music academies in the United States, and was recognized by the British newspaperThe Guardian as a musical phenomenon.
Rogel Lázaro Aguilera Mederos
Truck driver. Sentenced on December 13 to110 years in prison after being found guilty of 27 counts for a traffic accident on I-70 in Denver, Colorado, causing the deaths of four people. His conviction caused a commotion in the United States and the world, and mobilized a massive movement for the review of his case, with the support of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Shakira. A petition for clemency in thechange.org platform exceeded five million signatures. This December 30,Colorado governor reduced his sentence to 10 years in prison.
Omara Durand Elías
Sprinter. Paralympic champion. He won three gold medals at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, in the 100, 200 and 400 meters of the T12 category (deep visual impairment), setting a world record in the second of those distances.She was chosen to join the Athletes Council of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Náyare Menoyo. Journalist. He won the 2021 King of Spain Journalism Award in the Television category, for his documentaryLeonardo Padura, a squalid and moving story, that questions the silence in official media about the renowned writer in contrast to his international notoriety.
Alberto Reyes Pías. Psychologist and Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Camagüey. He has a critical stance on the Cuban reality and the island's political system, and defends his vision based on civic, spiritual and humanitarian postulates. From the pulpit and social networks he has defended the right of the Cuban people to express themselves and live with decorum and freedom, which he demonstrated in his support for the 11J demonstrations and the peaceful call for 15N.
Antonio Olive Lopez Hernandez, Tony Olive
Major League baseball legend. He played for 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, between 1962 and 1976, and was considered one of the best hitters of his era. American League Rookie of the Year in 1964, American League batting champion in three seasons and a Gold Glove winner as an outfielder. He was elected this December to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, thus closing an old debt with his legacy in the Major Leagues.
Jorge Soler. Major League Baseball Player He escaped Cuba in 2012 and secured an initial contract with the Chicago Cubs franchise. He was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Atlanta Braves, a team that had his decisive help in winning this year's World Series. He won the World Series Most Valuable Player trophy and became the first player in history to lead off with a home run in the opening game of the Fall Classic, batting first in the lineup.
Yulieski Gourriel
Major League Baseball player, infielder for the Houston Astros. Winner of the Gold Glove (defensive award) and leader of hitters in the American League, with an average of 319.
Randy Arozarena.Major League Baseball player, outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. In two seasons in the Majors he has had a fundamental contribution to his team's performance in the play-offs. In the 2020 postseason he hit 10 home runs in 18 games heading to the World Series. Winner of the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2021.
Yordenis Ugás
He was an amateur world champion and Olympic bronze medalist before emigrating to the United States in 2010. On August 21, he made history in Las Vegas by defeating boxing legend Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision and retaining his WBA welterweight world champion crown. . He fought for the world title with the phrase "Patria y Vida" embedded in his costume and then evoked the theme after being declared the winner. He has been involved in claims on social networks and public demonstrations in favor of the democratization of Cuba, and participated in the 15N demonstration in Miami. The attacks from the Cuban regime have not been long in coming, calling it a "traitor", "servile" and "forgetful". In recognition of his sporting and civic performance, he was given the keys to the City of Miami.
Leinier Domínguez.Chess Grandmaster, he is among the 15 players with the highest ELO percentage (2752) worldwide and is the Cuban chess player with the best results after José Raúl Capablanca. In September he won the Champions Showdown, a Chess 960 or Random tournament, held in Saint Louis, Missouri. He placed fourth at this year's US National Championship, undefeated, with one win and 10 boards.
Carlos Lechuga.Filmmaker, creator of films with notable international impact such asMolasses (2013) andSanta and Andrew (2016), censored in Cuba. Winner of the 2021 Norwegian Fund for Cuban Cinema to promote independent films. Awarded the Egeda Prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival, in Spain, consisting of financial support to conclude his film projectVicenta B. At the award ceremony he asked for the freedom of political prisoners in Cuba andmentioned the suffering of mothers and grandmothers before and after the 11J protests, which led him to resign as a member of the official Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC).
María Guadalupe Guzmán. Virologist. Director of the Research Center of the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK), in Havana. Academician of Merit of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and president of the Cuban Society of Microbiology and Parasitology. Winner of the International Women and Science Award 2022 from UNESCO for his pioneering work on dengue, the treatment of its symptoms and its prevention. The award is endowed with $115,000.
Marino Murillo Jorge.Former Minister of Economy and Planning. Appointed by the leadership of the Communist Party and Raúl Castro as head of the Permanent Commission for the Implementation and Development of the Guidelines, a kind of "czar of economic reforms" since 2011. In charge of the so-called Ordering Task, the resounding failure of the economic strategy, launched at the beginning of the year, led to his defenestration and subsequent appointment as president of the Tabacuba business group. The Permanent Commission was deactivated and the Planning Task assigned to the Ministry of Economy and Planning. Murillo is the great scapegoat for the government failures of 2021 and the face of the overwhelming incompetence of Cuban socialism.
Eddy Alvarez. Major League Baseball player with the Miami Marlins and former ice skater. Born in Miami to Cuban parents. Flag bearer of the United States delegation to the Tokyo Olympic Games as a member of the national baseball team, with which he won the silver medal. Sixth athlete in history to obtain Olympic medals in the Summer and Winter Games. He was also a silver medal winner in speed skating at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
Carlos Manuel Alvarez
Journalist and writer, director of the digital magazineThe sneeze. Winner of the Don Quixote King of Spain Journalism Prize for the report "Three Cuban Girls", a story about the death of three minors due to the collapse of a balcony in Havana, in January 2020. His most recent novel,fake war, which addresses "the fragmented and diffuse experience that is exile," was presented at the Guadalajara International Book Fair, Mexico, considered one of the most important publishing spaces in the Latin American region.
Alexander Jesus Figueredo Izaguirre
Doctor at the "13 de Marzo" polyclinic in Bayamo, Granma, and third-year resident of Urology at the "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" Provincial Hospital, in that eastern city.Expelled from his job and sanctioned to not practice his profession for five years, due to his complaints to the Cuban health system. He was accused by the authorities of "violating medical ethics" after reporting the death of his father due to a shortage of medicines at the Celia Sánchez Manduley Hospital, in Manzanillo, Granma.The phrase "Patria y Vida" was embroidered on his white coat. He was arrested during the 11J demonstrations in Bayamo. He has repeatedly urged his colleagues to take courage and unite to denounce the poor working conditions they face every day in health institutions.
Manuel Guerra
Doctor at the “Nicodemus Regalado” Hospital, in Buenaventura, Holguín. Coordinator of the Archipiélago citizen platform and promoter of the 15N march. Expelled from his workplace for his opposition to the Cuban regime and his complaints about the collapse of hospital facilities during the coronavirus crisis. In October he was arrested and accused of contempt of authority. He was released and is under a precautionary measure awaiting trial. He is a member of the Free Cuban Medical Guild.
Barbara Farrat
Mother of Jonathan Torres Farrat, 17 years old and imprisoned for demonstrating on June 11 in Havana. The woman asks for the release of her son, who is asthmatic, suffers from a heart condition and is the father of a baby who is barely a month old. She has held fasts, public protests anddirect complaints on social networks as part of a campaign focused on denouncing irregularities in the processes against the teenagers detained on 11J.
Reniel Rodríguez.15-year-old student, resident in Cárdenas, Matanzas. Youtuber, known for his critical videos of Cuban reality that he broadcasts as "Lunatico Debates." Arrested for marching dressed in white down a street in Cárdenas on 15N. He was detained at the Comprehensive Training School (EFI) in Matanzas, and released three days later after an intense protest campaign on social networks.
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