Havana/The Cuban Art Factory (FAC) released a statement this Wednesday in which it rejects the accusations of racial discrimination that circulated against it following an incident that occurred at the end of December. The cultural center maintains that the episode is part of a disqualification campaign launched since the authorities banned, in mid-October, a tribute to Celia Cruz for its centenary.
The incident occurred on December 26, when Alejandro Bridón Mesa He reported on social networks that he was denied entry to the Cuban Art Factory along with two companions, under the argument of the “right of admission”, without the security personnel offering any explanation. According to his testimony, while he was denied access supposedly because he was black and Cuban, other people, especially foreigners, entered without difficulty, a situation that he described as “humiliating.”
The complaint spread quickly on digital platforms, where it was shared by numerous users and generated a broad public debate about the application of the right of admission in cultural spaces.
The complaint spread quickly on digital platforms, where it was shared by numerous users
In the comments of the original publication, the Fábrica de Arte Cubano itself contributed an additional element by pointing out that Bridón Mesa had already visited the facility on other occasions without incident. According to that message, after carrying out internal inquiries, the young man was personally contacted by the musician and producer X Alfonso to offer explanations and apologies. The institution then reiterated that it is not a racist or exclusive space and assured that the Cuban Art Factory “is and will continue to be everyone’s home.”
This Thursday, X Alfonsofounder and director of the cultural center, expressed on his private social networks that a mistake had been made. In a particularly critical tone with the official smear campaigns: “Do not come to me with stories or official campaigns of empty speeches. For the short memory: the absurd use of the right of admission is what many of us experienced for years at Kevin’s age, when we were denied entry to hotels, social circles or stores for reasons that were not ours.” The artist wrote online, where he also explained that the security personnel confused the young man with a person accused of committing robberies on the premises and that the decision was not motivated by racial reasons. Furthermore, he assured that the right of admission is only used to prevent access to “people with criminal incidents in the space itself, whether due to robberies, sieges, lack of respect for the public or staff, or when they arrive in an obvious state of drunkenness or drugs, putting the safety of others at risk.”
Stirring up the controversy, the Cuban Institute of Music criticized on networks and in official media, such as Granma and Cubadebatethe response from the FAC. Considering that the justification given regarding the incident was insufficient. At the same time, he pointed out that the event has been manipulated by external actors to discredit the institutions and generate divisions within the “Revolution.” According to the statement, several members of the National Center for Popular Music and the Institute itself personally visited Bridón to explain to him that the entire incident was nothing more than an arbitrary decision by an employee. According to this official version, Bridón was satisfied with the explanation.
Founded in 2014, the Fábrica de Arte Cubano is a multidisciplinary center that has established itself as one of the main cultural venues in the capital.
