The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, posted a message this Saturday on the social media platform X expressing his regret for not being able to attend the Concierto de la Esperanza VII, held at the Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, where the Cuban group Orishas was one of the main attractions of the free event organized by RTVC.
"I wanted to go to the concert but I arrived late. I would have liked to hear Orishas, as they provide a great exploration of contemporary Caribbean music. The Caribbean will be the second renaissance if art is saved from greed and obscurantism, and if the peoples of the Caribbean are free," the leader wrote in response to a post by the public educational and cultural channel Señal Colombia.
The message drew attention because one of the most well-known members of Orishas, Yotuel Romero, has become one of the most critical voices against the Cuban regime, while Petro has maintained a stance of support toward Havana during his term.
Yotuel is a co-author of "Patria y Vida," the song released in February 2021 along with Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, and El Funky, which has become a symbol of the historic protests on July 11 of that year in Cuba.
Since then, the artist has referred to the Cuban political system as a "dictatorship" and "totalitarian." In February 2021, he stated that "the Cuban regime has taken everything from us, even fear", while in May 2026, he reiterated that "Homeland and Life" is "for the Cuban people and against the dictatorship." Months earlier, he had also questioned a speech by Miguel Díaz-Canel, asserting that under that system there is no future project for Cubans.
Petro's position has been different. In May 2026, he stated that Cuba "should be applauded and assisted" and described the U.S. embargo as a "genocide that affects the Cuban people."
Additionally, just two days before the concert, on July 31, he made his third official visit to Havana since taking office to meet with Miguel Díaz-Canel at the Palace of the Revolution, a meeting that his chancellor presented as a demonstration of "solidarity" with the Cuban government. Throughout his term, the Colombian president has also expressed his admiration for Fidel Castro on several occasions.
In the meantime, thousands of people attended the Concert of Hope VII and sang along to hits by Orishas, including "Atrevido," a song that reflects on ambition and the consequences of personal decisions.
Founded in the late 1990s between Havana and Paris, Orishas revolutionized Latin music by fusing hip hop with son, rumba, and other traditional Cuban rhythms. Since the release of "A lo Cubano" (1999), the group has won Latin Grammy awards and received several nominations for the Grammy.
The Concert of Hope VII had an approximate cost of 4.437 million Colombian pesos, a figure that sparked criticism from opposition sectors. During the event, the manager of RTVC, Hollman Morris, publicly thanked Petro for the support given to public media.
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