Cuban political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has been awarded the prestigious Rafto Prize for Human Rights for his courageous use of art as a tool of resistance against authoritarianism in Cuba. The Rafto Foundation, based in Bergen, Norway, highlighted that Otero Alcántara leads a new generation of independent Cuban voices challenging the regime through creative forms of opposition.
The 36-year-old "artivist" has been detained numerous times for his ideals. He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on charges of insulting patriotic symbols, contempt, and public disorder. He was arrested on July 11, 2021, while attempting to join protests demanding freedom and better living conditions in Cuba.
Hope Amid Darkness
Claudia Genlui, curator, collaborator, and partner of Otero Alcántara, shared with AFP that the artist feels hopeful due to this recognition. "This award is a ray of hope in the midst of all the pain and darkness he is experiencing," Genlui stated. Both she and Yanelys Núñez, another member of the artist's studio, celebrated the honor on social media, emphasizing that they hope this international recognition will refocus attention on Cuban political prisoners and pressure the global community to act more firmly against the regime.
Otero Alcántara is considered by Amnesty International as a "prisoner of conscience." Since 2016, he has faced political persecution, arrests, and the destruction of his artworks by Cuban authorities. His activism has included multiple hunger strikes as a form of protest, increasing international calls for his release.
The Rafto Foundation, established in 1987 with a prize valued at $20,000, has recognized figures who later received the Nobel Peace Prize, such as Aung San Suu Kyi and José Ramos-Horta. This award bolsters Otero Alcántara's fight and that of other political prisoners in Cuba, while underscoring the need for greater international attention to human rights defense on the island.
The Cuban government, however, has discredited Otero Alcántara, accusing him of being an agent serving U.S. interests to destabilize the country. In August, Cuban activists reported threats against Otero Alcántara in Guanajay prison. Genlui reported that during a phone call, a guard attempted to interrupt the conversation, heightening concerns about the constant intimidation the artist faces. After undergoing a hunger strike, Otero Alcántara was subjected to psychological violence, severely affecting his health.