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The Cuban singer-songwriter Amaury Pérez Vidal received the 2025 National Music Award this Saturday at a ceremony held at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.
Images of the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife Lis Cuesta, and the singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez attending the ceremony were shared by the X account of the Presidency of Cuba, which described the event as a "simple and intimate" ceremony.
In another image, Amaury is seen receiving the diploma of the award from the hands of the regime's Minister of Culture, Alpidio Alonso.
Amaury Pérez has been a figure identified with official positions within the Cuban cultural sphere for decades.
His proximity to the highest authorities of the country, including the current leader and his family circle, as well as his historical affinity with the previous political leadership, positions him as one of the artists who publicly support the communist project.
A few days ago, Pérez stated that he experiences the current crisis "like any other Cuban," although he remains loyal to the regime.
In a message sent to a friend—shared on Facebook by the president of the Casa de las Américas, Abel Prieto—the official troubadour insisted that he will remain steadfast in his position despite enduring "endless blackouts and shortages of all kinds."
Amaury first explained that he left his Facebook page due to health issues in his family. He added that, aside from those circumstances, the political context also influenced his decision.
"The aggressions against my country did not allow me to continue living, as someone pointed out, a parallel life that motivated some to target it," he said.
The artist asserted that he remains on the Island despite the daily challenges. "I am in Cuba, as you know, and I will not give up on that detail when everything (I survive in a 'lower middle-class' neighborhood) prevents me from ignoring endless blackouts and shortages of all kinds."
"I am just another one who does not give up, nor will I ever give up, on being part of the hardships of my neighbors. Who are my neighbors? Well, 10 million fellow countrymen," he stated in the letter.
In October last year, upon receiving the Distinction Maestro de Juventudes in Havana, awarded by the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) in recognition of his artistic career, he recalled Fidel Castro as “his friend, the Commander in Chief,” which drew attention and sparked controversy both inside and outside of Cuba.
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