Exiled Cuban artist Otero Alcantara has arrived in US, Rubio confirms

Otero Alcántara is portion of the San Isidro Movement, which has agelong been the people of Cuban repression.

Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, a high-profile Cuban creator who spent 5 years successful prison, has arrived successful the United States, wherever helium is expected to unrecorded successful exile.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Alcantara’s accomplishment connected Saturday and called connected the Cuban authorities to escaped 700 different governmental prisoners detained successful the country.

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Otero Alcantara, 38, was sentenced to 5 years successful situation for insulting nationalist symbols, contempt and disturbing the nationalist order.

The creator is simply a cofounder of Cuba’s San Isidro Movement, a radical of artists and intellectuals who demanded greater freedoms successful Cuba. The movement’s members person been a “constant target” of Cuban authorities’ repression, according to Amnesty International.

“For daring to ideate a escaped Cuba, helium was harassed, detained and imprisoned clip and again, but today, helium is successful exile,” Rubio said.

Rubio besides called for the “immediate release” of “the much than 700 unjustly detained governmental prisoners” successful Cuba.

Rights groups person repeatedly called connected Cuban authorities to merchandise hundreds of governmental prisoners.

US economical and diplomatic unit connected Cuba has grown successful caller years arsenic tensions betwixt the 2 countries person escalated.

Earlier this week, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism and different entities related to the country’s tourism industry, which acts arsenic an economical lifeline for the isolated Caribbean island.

Cuba’s vigor infrastructure has astir collapsed nether a US-imposed lipid blockade, with blackouts affecting millions crossed the island.

“The Trump medication remains committed to the Cuban people’s pursuit of freedom,” Rubio said.