Manolín "The Doctor of Salsa" published an emotional video on Facebook addressed to Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara in which he thanks him twice: for standing up to the dictatorship during the protests on July 11, 2021, and for revealing the truth about the differential treatment he received during his five years of political imprisonment in Cuba.
"Otero Alcántara, Manolín here. Welcome back to Libertad. We have to thank you twice. First, for having the courage to confront the dictatorship face to face. That July 11 when you could have lost your life; thank God you didn't, but it cost you five years in prison, in deprivation of liberty, for standing up to the dictatorship," says the singer in the nearly two-minute video.
The second expression of gratitude highlights the honesty with which Otero Alcántara publicly recounted his conditions of confinement, including the privileges granted to him by the regime in the Guanajay prison, revelations that sparked debate within the Cuban expatriate community.
"You counted the privileges that the dictatorship gave you, that the dictatorship decided to give you. Because a prisoner does not choose their prison regime. You were a hostage, a prisoner," stated Manolín.
For the musician, this approach reveals a deliberate strategy by the regime to manipulate international perception. "The dictatorship, consciously and Machiavellianly, destroys some political prisoners and favors prisoners who are public figures to deceive global public opinion. This demonstrates that there is malice; it is worse than people imagine," he pointed out.
Manolín also apologized to Otero Alcántara for the criticisms directed at him by some countrymen, and he referred to a phrase attributed to José Martí: "Truth is never indecent. Those who are inviting you to lie, tell them no, that you do not know how to do those things, that you tell the truth, that you are a brave, noble, and sincere man."
Otero Alcántara, a prominent figure in the San Isidro Movement, was detained during the largest anti-government protests in Cuba since 1959 and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of contempt, public disorder, and outrage against national symbols. His sentence ended on July 9, 2026, but two days prior, he was taken from prison without notice to his family or lawyers, a situation that Amnesty International referred to as "enforced disappearance".
The artist arrived in Miami on July 18 with an individual humanitarian parole and described his departure without ambiguity: "I was expelled from Cuba." When asked on Saturday about his statements regarding the treatment he received in prison, he replied firmly: "I had to be honest".
Among the comments on the video, several followers supported Manolín's position and praised Otero Alcántara's bravery, while others questioned whether the activist's honesty could be exploited by the regime as propaganda.
Manolín, whose real name is Manuel González Hernández, is one of the key figures of Cuban timba music from the nineties. The regime banned him from radio and television due to his critical stance, and in 2026 he denounced the existence of hundreds of political prisoners in Cuba, labeling the Island's rulers asfools, a disgrace.
The video closed with a message that combines recognition and respect for the decision made by the activist: "Welcome back, and now choose the life you want. If you want to continue fighting for freedom, we will keep fighting. And if you want to pursue your art... choose what you want, decide freely. We are in debt to you. To battle, compatriot." Otero Alcántara, for his part, already anticipated his response upon arriving in Miami: "I’m going to keep fighting".
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