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This Monday, Chocolate MC returned to the Miami-Dade County court for the continuation of his legal proceedings regarding the threat accusations against Damian Valdez.
In the room, the image presented by the Cuban reggaeton artist deeply moved those who know and follow him.
Yosvany Sierra Hernández -his real name- appeared in the red uniform reserved for high-risk inmates, handcuffed, with his hands chained to his waist and shackles on his feet.
At one point, he even stumbled while trying to step down from the defendants' bench to approach the court translator, as revealed by Telemundo 51.
“Sad, very sad, is my brother”, expressed his sister, Isis Arislén Sierra, in statements to the aforementioned media.
"It's tough [...] I was sitting there thinking: if my mom sees this, she would die. It’s hard to see a relative of yours chained up in those conditions, and even harder to see it happen repeatedly," she added.
The judicial process is advancing
During the hearing, the prosecution indicated that only the statement from the lead detective is needed from the defense before the trial can begin.
Chocolate MC faces serious charges for allegedly threatening and attempting to recruit others via social media with the intention of murdering Damian Valdez Galloso, who is accused of the death of El Taiger.
The defense attorney revealed that his client submitted a letter addressed to the judge, the contents of which remain unknown. It was first read in private before being formally included in the case file.
An inner change
Beyond the judicial aspect, the artist's environment claims that the current confinement—due to another incident that occurred in June—has led to a profound transformation in Chocolate's outlook on life.
“The first thing I can tell you is that he was completely devoted to God, he has a lot of faith and he tells me that when he comes out, you will see a completely different person. I do not lose faith,” assured his sister Isis when discussing Chocolate's newfound religiosity.
She remembers that her brother was admitted to the Mazorra psychiatric hospital in Cuba for mental health issues and addictions; and she believes that the treatments he is receiving in prison now are helping him "much more," as she stated to the aforementioned media outlet.
"It's going to hit the Bible."
The current representative of Chocolate MC, Daniel Llorente -known among Cubans as "the man of the flag"- also confirms this spiritual shift.
According to Llorente, the reggaeton artist is determined to return to music, but with a radically different message.
“As he says, he is going to 'hit the Bible', creating psalms in his own style, just as he does”, he commented.
And he concluded emphatically: “He will continue to be the king, but this time announcing Jesus Christ.”
Although Chocolate MC's legal future is still to be determined, he himself insists that his personal path has already changed.
Now, those who know him well claim that the controversial reggaeton artist is determined to return to the stage as a preacher of faith, with urban psalms that promise to make an impact just as much as his past hits.
Current situation: Detained for another case
Awaiting trial for the case of Damian Valdez Galloso, Chocolate MC remains incarcerated for another unrelated charge.
He was arrested on June 2, charged with kidnapping and threatening a fan with a firearm, who was held for several hours.
Although it was confirmed that the weapon was fake, the charges filed include kidnapping and armed robbery.
In the hearing on June 5, Judge Mindy S. Glazer ruled that he would not be entitled to bail, considering that he violated the conditions of a prior release.
During the hearing, the reggaeton artist denied being mentally unstable.
This process adds to an already extensive legal history: it is the fifth case opened in Florida and his ninth arrest in eight years.
A controversial figure in Cuban reggaeton
Chocolate MC, 34 years old, has been an influential yet controversial figure in the Cuban urban music scene.
Their career has been marked by musical successes, but also by repeated run-ins with the law: domestic violence, drug possession, public disturbance, and now an accusation of conspiracy to commit murder.
The trial for the threats and alleged incitement to the murder of Damian Valdes Galloso could become the most decisive turning point in the career and legal life of the reggaeton artist.
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