Cuba: Government to include writers and artists in prisoner release
Image Credit: Melnikov Dmitriy (Shutter Stock)
16 January 2025: PEN International, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), and Cuban Writers in Exile PEN Centre welcome the Cuban government’s announcement on 14 January of a mass prisoner release, mediated by Pope Francis and the Vatican, following the US' removal of Cuba from its state sponsors of terrorism list. The organisations urge the Cuban authorities to include writers and artists who remain unjustly imprisoned on the island in this release.
“PEN International welcomes the Cuban government's recent announcement, which offers a potential pathway for the release of writers and artists unjustly imprisoned. Cultural workers, creators, and authors on the island have long been champions of peace, hope, and human rights. The global PEN community calls for the immediate prioritisation of all writers imprisoned for criticising the authorities, including poet María Cristina Garrido Rodríguez. We also urge an end to persecution and censorship in all its forms," said Romana Cacchioli, Executive Director of PEN International.
According to the announcement made by the Cuban Minister of Foreign Relations on January 14, 553 individuals will be released, and “the releases are carried out on the basis of a careful analysis of the different modalities contemplated in the legislation.” It is not clear what the criteria will be for determining who will make it to the list of 553 individuals and what these modalities entail. However, the Ministry explained that the release of prisoners will take place “gradually.”
“This announcement marks a pivotal opportunity for the Cuban government to reaffirm its commitment to justice and human rights,” said Julie Trébault, ARC’s Executive Director. “We strongly urge the authorities to prioritise the inclusion of imprisoned artists, such as Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Castillo Pérez—whose resilience and creativity symbolise the unyielding power of artistic freedom in the island. This is a moment for all parties involved to ensure respect for freedom of expression and protect the voices of artists and the cultural heritage they represent."
The Cuban government has systematically targeted writers, artists and cultural workers on the island for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression. As part of the Voces Presas campaign, PEN International, ARC and Civil Rights Defenders have worked to monitor and highlight the stories of Cuban creatives unjustly imprisoned. Among those profiled are Latin Grammy Award-winning rapper Maykel Castillo Pérez; graffiti artist, tattoo artist, and model, Jessica Lisbeth Torres Calvo; musician and rapper Randy Arteaga Rivera; poet and activist María Cristina Garrido Rodríguez; and performance artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcánatara, named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2021.
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