Copenhagen/Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was awarded the Rafto Human Rights Prize in Norway on Thursday “for his courageous opposition to authoritarianism through art.”
The ruling notes that Otero Alcántara, 36 and currently in prison, “has been arrested countless times for his activism” and that his works are “strongly critical of restrictions on freedom of expression.”
Otero Alcántara leads the San Isidro Movement, founded in 2018 and which brings together artists, musicians, journalists and academics “who promote freedom of expression” and oppose the so-called Decree 349, which requires creators to be registered with the Ministry of Culture, from which they must request permission to perform and exhibit their work.
“The 2024 Rafto Prize aims to highlight the importance of the work of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and other artists in challenging power structures and defending democracy and human rights in Cuba and around the world,” said the jury, which urged the Cuban government to release the activist, all “political prisoners” and repeal Decree 349.
“The Rafto 2024 award aims to highlight the importance of the work of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and other artists in challenging power structures”
Co-founder of the so-called Museum of Dissidence, he also participated in the music video for the hip-hop song Homeland and lifewhich played a major role in the anti-government protests of July 11, 2021.
“Since 2016, he has been subjected to interrogations, political persecution and has been arrested countless times. In addition, his works of art have been confiscated and destroyed by state security agents,” the ruling said.
Otero Alcántara was sentenced in 2022 for contempt, public disorder and insulting national symbols and He is currently serving a five-year sentence in the maximum security prison of Guanajay.
Since 1987, the Rafto Foundation has been awarding prizes to human rights and democracy activists every year. Among them are four people who later received the Nobel Peace Prize: Burmese Aung San Suu Kyi, East Timorese José Ramos-Horta, South Korean Kim Dae-jung and Iranian Shirin Ebadi.
The prize, worth $20,000, is named after Professor Thorolf Rafto, who dedicated his life to defending democracy and human rights.
