Cuban activists denounced that they have no news of the independent artist and political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara since July 11, when he announced that he would begin a 48-hour fast in commemoration of the anti-government protests of July 11th.
That day he informed us that he was going to fast for 48 hours in commemoration of the 11th of July. We do not know if he has been punished for this gesture of protest or if his silence is due to a penalty for having given an interview to El País Spain by telephone days before the 11th of July," a post on the political prisoner's Facebook page states.
According to the post, this Thursday it was Otero Alcántara's turn to call and he did not do it, he also did not communicate on Tuesday, July 16th.
"We are deeply concerned about the physical and mental integrity of Luisma. We demand the immediate release of Luisma and the rest of the Cuban political prisoners," emphasizes the publication.
Last June, the authorities of the maximum-security prison in Guanajay, Artemisa, prohibited the artist from taking his drawings out of the prison, after some of his works were exhibited in Miami.
"He is painting, but they do not allow him to take the drawings out. We provide him with all the materials, but those drawings cannot leave the prison. This happened after the last exhibition we did," stated Claudia Genlui, art curator, to Martí Noticias.
Otero Alcántara became the main dissenting figure against the Cuban regime from his home in the San Isidro neighborhood, where he staged several hunger strikes and artistic expressions that challenged totalitarianism on the island.
On February 7th, a court denied the request for parole in favor of Otero Alcántara, and determined that the activist must remain in prison.
He has been in prison since the protests of July 11, 2021.
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