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Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was taken out this Tuesday from the maximum-security prison of Guanajay, in Artemisa, amid a heavy operation, according to activist Idelisa Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia, who stated that she received the information through a phone call from the prison itself.
“After receiving a call from the prison, we were informed that Luis Manuel was taken out of the Guanajay penitentiary amid a heavy operation,” wrote Salcedo Verdecia on .
So far, the location to which the artist and prisoner of conscience has been transferred is unknown, a situation that increases the uncertainty surrounding his case as only two days remain until July 9, the date on which, according to the sentence, his five-year prison sentence is set to expire.
The lack of information precisely fuels one of the scenarios that human rights organizations have been warning about for months. Cubalex recently alerted about the risk that the authorities could fabricate a new criminal case to prevent their release, a practice that, according to the organization, has previously been used against other opponents and activists.
The case reached the UN General Assembly this Tuesday
The transfer coincides with a time of intense international pressure on the Cuban regime.
During the extraordinary session of the United Nations General Assembly held this Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, displayed photographs of several Cuban political prisoners and began his remarks by mentioning Otero Alcántara.
"His crime was being an artist," stated the American diplomat, recalling that the founder of the San Isidro Movement remains incarcerated in a maximum-security prison even though his sentence is nearing its end.
Otero Alcántara was arrested on July 11, 2021, during the historic protests of 11J, and in June 2022, he was sentenced to five years in prison for the crimes of insult to national symbols, contempt, and public disorder.
Amnesty International recognizes him as a prisoner of conscience.
His legal process has been surrounded by questions. In April of this year, the People's Supreme Court rejected a habeas corpus petition filed by Cubalex, which argued that the sentence should be considered served by counting the time in preventive detention and the reductions for good behavior.
In the weeks leading up to the scheduled date of his release, periods of communication breakdown with his family and lawyers were also reported.
"When will I be free?"
Despite remaining imprisoned, the artist has continued to denounce his situation.
In April, he published a letter titled "When Will I Be Free?" in The New York Times, and in May, he granted an interview to USA Today, where he defended the role of art as a tool for social transformation.
"We found a path in art, a reason to believe that art could change things, and we decided to put our bodies at the service of change in Cuba," he stated.
On June 12th, Cubalex and the Studio of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara launched an international countdown campaign towards the fulfillment of his sentence under the slogan:
"May each image represent one less day. May each post serve as public oversight."
The transfer takes place against a backdrop of growing concern over the human rights situation in Cuba. Prisoners Defenders reported a record 1,281 political prisoners on the island in June, making the case of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara one of the most visible symbols of repression against artists, activists, and opponents.
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