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Activist Anamely Ramos reported this Monday that artist and political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara remains missing while in the custody of the Cuban regime, despite having fully served the five-year sentence imposed on him in 2022.
During a live broadcast lasting over 25 minutes on Facebook, Ramos denied reports suggesting a supposed release of the leader of the San Isidro Movement and stated that, so far, neither his family nor his close associates know his whereabouts.
"Luis Manuel has not been released; he is missing," he stated at the beginning of the broadcast.
Otero Alcántara was
“Nothing has been seen of Luis Manuel since he was transferred from the Guanajay prison on Tuesday, July 7,” Ramos insisted.
The only known contact occurred on July 9, when the artist made a brief phone call using a State Security phone and under the supervision of agents.
«Since Thursday, we haven't heard anything from Luis Manuel, since that call he made to me from one of the State Security's phone. It was a speakerphone call; they were listening to everything we talked about," he recounted.
According to the activist, that conversation confirmed that the authorities have no intention of allowing her to return home.
"It became absolutely clear, with total cynicism, that no matter what they do they are not going to release Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara," he stated.
Criticism of the international press
During the broadcast, Ramos also questioned the coverage that various international media outlets have provided regarding the case, noting that some have focused their attention on a possible release of the artist while ignoring the forced disappearance that his surroundings are reporting.
"Those media outlets are waiting for the release to have the scoop themselves. That shows an incredible level of irresponsibility and a lack of respect and professional rigor," he stated.
He also urged the accredited press in Cuba to demand answers from the authorities.
"The role of the foreign press is to approach the institutions of the Cuban government, the MININT, the State Security, and inquire why Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is not at home when his sentence has already ended," he demanded.
Obstacles to filing a habeas corpus
Ramos explained that on July 11, a habeas corpus petition was attempted to be filed before the Provincial People's Court of Havana, but the building remained closed despite it being a working day.
The activist who went to submit the document was detained and remained under arrest for two days.
In light of this situation, the organization Cubalex sent the appeal via email to the Provincial Court and the Supreme People's Court, although it reported that the official addresses are inactive or block the sending of messages.
The activist also called on the diplomatic corps accredited in Cuba to assist in delivering the legal resource, as occurred during the criminal proceedings against Otero Alcántara in 2022.
The UN has already activated an Urgent Action
The case has already been accepted by the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which activated an Urgent Action (AU No. 2357/2026) and requested the Cuban state to report on the artist's whereabouts before July 25.
Ramos recalled that Otero Alcántara served the entirety of the imposed sentence, without even benefiting from the reductions in penalty provided for in Cuban legislation for inmates without a criminal record.
"If there were any kind of legality in Cuba, Luis Manuel should already be home," he stated.
At the end of his speech, he summed up the situation with a phrase that, in his view, defines the regime's behavior toward dissent:
"The Cuban state is cynically making it clear once again that it offers silence, prison, or exile."
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