U.S. Department of State
07/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/18/2026 15:52
Welcoming Artist Who Courageously Stood Against Cuban Regime’s Oppression
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Welcoming Artist Who Courageously Stood Against Cuban Regime's Oppression
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a courageous Cuban artist and leader of the San Isidro Movement arrived in the United States after years of unjust imprisonment by the illegitimate Cuban regime. Otero Alcántara's only "crime" was refusing to stay silent and using his art to demand the basic freedoms everyday Cubans have been denied for almost seven decades.
The San Isidro Movement, which he helped build, was a beacon of hope for a generation of Cubans who refused to live under tyranny. The regime's fear of everyday Cubans speaking the truth of living under communism and constant repression was evidenced by their cowardice in imprisoning Otero Alcántara. For daring to imagine a free Cuba, he was harassed, detained, and imprisoned time and again but today, he is in exile.
The Trump Administration remains committed to the Cuban people's pursuit of freedom from tyranny and in support of democracy, prosperity, and fundamental freedoms. We call for the immediate release of the more than 700 unjustly detained political prisoners held by the regime. The international community must stop turning a blind eye to the human rights abuses of the Cuban regime and join us in demanding an end to their repression.
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