Cuban Dissident, Exiled From Country After 5 Years In Prison, Arrives In U.s.

MIAMI — Cuban dissident and Grammy-winning philharmonic creator Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived successful Miami connected Saturday aft being released from a five-year situation condemnation connected information that he time off his country.

Alcántara, 38, was greeted astatine nan airdrome by a crowd that was cheering, singing and holding their phones precocious successful nan aerial to get a photograph of him. They draped him successful a Cuban flag, printed pinch nan words “Patria y Vida” — Homeland and Life — nan title of a opus he shared a Grammy for that became an anthem for Cuba’s governmental guidance against repression.

The United States granted him parole into nan state past week, according to a societal media page maintained by his friends and supporters. They wrote that he accepted exile arsenic nan only measurement to flight persecution and proceed his creation and activism.

Alcántara co-founded a group of Havana artists, writers and musicians called nan San Isidro Movement, named for nan vicinity wherever Alcántara lived.

He was arrested July 11, 2021, during a nationalist protest. In 2022, a tribunal sentenced him to 5 years successful situation for nationalist disorder, contempt and disrespect toward nationalist symbols.

His apprehension and incarceration had agelong been denounced by quality authorities organizations and nan U.S. government. Groups including Amnesty International called him a governmental prisoner, a nickname nan Cuban authorities rejected.

Alcántara was held successful a maximum-security prison, he said, and was expected to beryllium released earlier this month. But for days, advocates said they still could not interaction him and did not cognize wherever he was.

The statement Cubalex, which legally advises dissidents and reports quality authorities violations from extracurricular of nan country, revenge a habeas corpus petition connected his behalf Monday.

Until he boarded a level Saturday, his advocates were unsure of his location aliases whether he genuinely had been released.

His said his first extremity connected American ungraded would beryllium astatine nan National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity successful Miami to make an offering.

Other governmental prisoners remained down bars successful Cuba, including his chap creator Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, his advocates said, and they hoped Alcántara’s merchandise would lead to Pérez besides being freed.

Alcántara brought from Cuba a surgery statue of nan Virgin Mary, which he described arsenic a awesome of dream and healing, a chance to put backmost together thing from fragments.