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The Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara remains missing, one week after being taken from the prison in Guanajay, Artemisa, by State Security agents.
An update posted on Facebook profiles of the political prisoner and activist Anamely Ramos states that neither Luis Manuel's family nor his friends have been able to see him or receive any official information regarding his whereabouts.
The forced relocation occurred on July 7, between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM, with no notification given to their relatives.
His five-year sentence —imposed in June 2022 for charges of "insulting the symbols of the homeland," "contempt," and "public disorder"— officially expired on July 9, 2026, but the regime did not release him or inform where he was located.
On the same day, the artist managed to briefly contact Ramos from a State Security phone, with the call on speaker and under direct supervision. During that conversation, he was unable to disclose his location.
According to Ramos, he will remain in that undisclosed location while his individual parole application to travel to the United States progresses, currently the only legal route available for Cubans following the cancellation of the CHNV collective program by the Trump administration in March 2025.
The State Security itself actively inquired during the call about the status of that process, which activists interpret as a sign that the regime is seeking to expedite a forced exile.
In light of the situation, the organization Cubalex filed a habeas corpus petition before the Provincial People's Tribunal of Artemisa, arguing illegal detention for having served the sentence.
However, the Provincial People's Court of Havana remained closed on a working Friday, preventing the filing of a new appeal.
Cubalex sent the request by email to the Provincial Court and the Supreme People’s Court, although it has documented that the official addresses designated for these procedures are inactive or block messages.
"This situation represents a new violation of the right to access justice and aggravates the helplessness of Luis Manuel, whose whereabouts continue to be officially unreported," the organization denounced.
It is worth noting that the Supreme People's Court had already rejected a previous habeas corpus on April 7, 2026, arguing that Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara posed a "social danger."
The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances activated an Urgent Action under file AU No. 2357/2026, at the request of Cubalex, and set July 25, 2026 as the deadline for the Cuban state to submit an official report on their whereabouts.
Amnesty International formally condemned the forced disappearance and demanded his immediate and unconditional release. The organization has recognized him as a prisoner of conscience since 2021.
On July 10, Maykel Castillo «Osorbo» was removed from Kilo 8 prison in Pinar del Río without any notification to his family and with his whereabouts also unknown, following the same pattern. He is currently in the maximum-security prison in Guanajay.
Otero Alcántara was already a victim of a previous enforced disappearance in July 2021, recorded by the UN under file AU 1208/2021, which makes the current episode a recurring pattern of the Cuban regime.
"Until there is direct confirmation that he is free and in a known location, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara remains missing," concludes the joint statement from Ramos and the artist's own profile.
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