Rights Groups Hail Release of Cuban Dissident Otero Alcántara, Denounce Forced Exile

Human rights organizations have welcomed the release of Cuban opposition artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, but they strongly criticize his subsequent forced exile to the United States. The artist was released after completing a five-year prison sentence on charges including contempt of court, disturbing public order, and continuous offense to national symbols.

Amnesty International stated that while Otero Alcántara is finally out of prison, the Cuban state compelled his exile instead of granting him freedom within his own country. The organization demands accountability from the state, insisting on his right to return to Cuba without fear of reprisal if he chooses. They maintain he should never have been imprisoned.

Otero Alcántara, designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, arrived in Miami on a commercial flight after receiving humanitarian parole. He had been detained since July 2021, attempting to join anti-government protests. His release from Guanajay prison came just two days before his sentence was officially set to end.

Human Rights Watch echoed these sentiments, with Americas director Juanita Goebertus emphasizing that Otero Alcántara should not have spent a single day in jail or been forced into exile. She also called for an end to the ongoing repression in Cuba. Freedom House echoed the calls for his release and highlighted that over 1,300 political prisoners remain detained in Cuba for speaking out against the government. Freedom House reiterated the demand for Cuban authorities to cease criminalizing freedom of expression and release all political prisoners.

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El Estado debe rendir cuentas y garantizar su derecho a regresar a Cuba, si así Luis Manuel lo decide, sin vigilancia, sin amenazas y sin nuevas represalias. Luis Manuel nunca debió estar preso.