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The Cuban Institute of Music (ICM) and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) publicly reacted following reports that a young Cuban and his companions were denied entry to the institution under the so-called "right of admission." This incident sparked a wave of backlash on social media and was labeled discriminatory by anti-racist activists and citizens.
According to the note from the ICM, the case came to light following a Facebook post by the user Yuliet Teresa, and it affected Alejandro Bridón Mesa.
The institute stated that the FAC and the National Center for Popular Music exchanged information with the complainant and the young man, and that the institution acknowledged "its responsibility" for the "mismanagement" of the admission rights.
The official version: "zero tolerance," but they deny institutional racism
According to the statement, on the morning of December 31st, Alejandro Bridón was visited at his home by Víctor Rodríguez (director of the National Center for Popular Music) and Osmani López (vice president of the ICM), who reaffirmed a policy of “zero tolerance” toward discrimination and mistreatment.
However, they maintained that "it was not a racist stance", but rather an "arbitrary act" based on the personal judgment of an employee.
"It was not a racist stance, but rather an arbitrary act based on the personal judgment of an employee," the statement said.
They also confirmed that disciplinary action was taken against the person involved and that the young man “felt satisfied with the explanation.”
The ICM added that the leadership of the Ministry of Culture also reached out to the young man, who—according to the report—expressed gratitude for the exchange and emphasized the need to raise awareness about the seriousness of these events.
The statement asserts that Bridón expressed disinterest in promoting the "formal complaint" outlined in protocols, although the institute stated that it conducted an investigation and will pass the information on to the "relevant authorities."
FAC apologizes and assures that it is "neither racist nor exclusionary."
In its own statement, the FAC declared that, after "necessary and thorough inquiries," it decided to personally contact Alejandro Bridón, via X Alfonso, to offer him "clarifications."
He assured that he “deeply regrets what happened,” apologized, and stated: “The Cuban Art Factory is neither racist nor exclusionary… it is and will always be a home for everyone.”
The text initially spread by Yuliet Teresa includes the testimony attributed to Alejandro Bridón Mesa, who recounted that on December 26, around 10:00 p.m., he arrived at the FAC with two friends to celebrate one of their birthdays, and that after waiting in line, he observed that those in front of him —described as foreigners or white individuals— were allowed to enter without any difficulty.
However, it states that they were denied entry due to “RIGHT OF ADMISSION” without explanation.
It also recounts that another Black woman was unable to enter until she clarified that she was not Cuban.
In that account, the young man argues that the "right of admission" without transparency becomes an arbitrary mechanism that legitimizes discrimination and denounces a pattern of privilege for foreigners and white individuals, marginalizing black Cubans.
In addition to rejecting the behavior of the involved worker, the ICM also criticized what it referred to as a "tepid and justifying argumentation" from a member of the FAC team, and justified that the incident was used by "the counter-revolution and its allies" to discredit institutions and "sow division," while reiterating that they will not allow such acts to go unpunished.
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