The San Isidro Movement originated in September 2018 as a direct response to the government’s Decree 349, which threatened to penalize the freedom of artistic creation and expression in Cuba. Following the publication of the Decree, a group of artists and activists came together to engage in a series of actions aimed at “promoting, protecting, and defending the full freedom of expression, association, creation, and dissemination of art and culture in Cuba, empowering society towards a future with democratic values.” It was with this intent that the San Isidro Movement was born, named after the impoverished and marginalized neighborhood in Havana where it is based.
The Movement has since committed itself to the struggle for the legalization of autonomous spaces for art and for freedom of expression in all its forms; this is despite the ongoing criminalization of the group and the frequent arrests and abuses suffered by its members, particularly highlighting Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo.
In just over two years of existence, the Movimiento San Isidro has challenged the Cuban government on several occasions, which has systematically repressed their initiatives to stifle their efforts. One notable instance was a protest performance in front of the Capitol in Havana, the seat of the legislative power, which became the group’s first significant public act. Following pressures from various sectors, the Cuban government, through the Ministry of Culture, publicly announced that it would pause the implementation of Decree 349. This was largely seen as a victory for the members of the group.
Since then, the members of the San Isidro Movement—a group with an open and flexible structure—have been active agents in the struggle for change within Cuban society. They support artists who suffer the direct consequences of the regime's repression, as well as other sectors representing independent civil society in Cuba. Their most recent action has been a hunger strike to demand the release of Denis Solís, a rapper who has been sentenced to eight months in prison for alleged contempt of authority.
