New Campaign Spotlights the Stories of Imprisoned Cuban Artists

November 17, 2022

(NEW YORK | LONDON | STOCKHOLM)—Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and PEN International, in partnership with Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), today launched a new campaign “Voces Presas” (Imprisoned Voices) to shine a light on the stories of imprisoned Cuban artists: poet María Cristina Garrido and rappers Richard Zamora Brito and Randy Arteaga-Rivera. The campaign calls for the release of all imprisoned artists in Cuba and the respect and guarantee of artistic freedom on the island.

The campaign includes profiles on each artist’s career, with music videos and other excerpts of their art, and documents the harassment and imprisonment they have faced as a result of Cuba’s repression of free and creative expression. The social media campaign calls on the international community to stand in solidarity with Cubans whose freedom of expression is under attack and demand that the Cuban government release these and all artists imprisoned because of their political views.

“Dissident artists in Cuba have emerged on the frontlines of the protest movement in the country, using their platforms as creators to challenge the false narratives created by the Cuban government and call for the formation of a society where human rights are respected and protected,” said Julie Trébault, director of Artists at Risk Connection (ARC). “But they have repeatedly paid a great price for their creative expression, finding themselves behind bars, under surveillance and house arrest, or forced into exile. We must acknowledge and respect the price paid by Cuban artists for their actions as dissenters and human rights defenders, and the best way to do so is by telling and uplifting their stories. With this campaign, we hope to shine a light on three remarkable Cuban artist-activists and motivate the international community to stand up for their rights and their freedom of expression.”

“Since the 11J protests, repression against artists and activists in Cuba has been escalating. The Cuban authorities keep using the judicial system to suppress dissent and critical free speech. With this campaign, we encourage people to support these artists and let their voices be heard through their craft. At the same time, we urge the American and European Embassies in Havana to condemn and act on the worsening violations of human rights in Cuba; and to demand the government to allow them to visit Maria Cristina, Richard and Randy, and report on their current conditions,” said Erik Jennische, the Director of the Latin America Department at Civil Rights Defenders.

The poet and activist María Cristina Garrido Rodríguez’s activism and fight for women’s rights led to her detention on July 12, 2021 after participating in the July 11 protests. Charged with resistance, assault, instigation to commit a crime, and public disorder, she was sentenced in March 2022 and is completing a seven-year prison sentence in Guatao Prison.

Richard Zamora Brito, also known as “El Radikal,” is a rapper who participated in the July 11 protests in Colón, Matanzas. He was arrested on July 12, 2021, and held in the Combinado del Sur de Matanzas prison. After being released on bail, he is now under house arrest and subject to forced labor.

Randy Arteaga-Rivera, rapper and anti-racism activist, was sentenced to five years in prison for his participation in the July 11 protests in Santa Clara. The prosecution argued that the artist was implicated in the leadership of the demonstrations and accused of public disorder and contempt. He was also accused of shouting insults against President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

“The repression in Cuba continues to deepen; however, the Cuban people will not be silenced. Despite widespread and unjust imprisonment of writers, artists and ordinary citizens expressing their opinions, calls for freedom are carried forward globally by a groundswell of solidarity. International human rights organizations join writers and artists around the world to protest the persecution of cultural actors María Cristina Garrido, Randy Arteaga-Rivera and Richard Zamora Brito who face hefty prison sentences solely for exercising their right to freely express themselves. The Cuban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners on the island, including imprisoned writers and artists, and end the incarceration of innocent citizens. We, at PEN, will not end our campaign to make censorship in Cuba visible, until justice is served,” said Romana Cacchioli, Executive Director of PEN International.

The campaign calls for the immediate release of all imprisoned artists and the free exercise of art and activism. It also calls on the embassies of the European Union and the Americas in Cuba to demand that the state allows them to visit the three imprisoned artists and urges others to pressure the Cuban government to dismantle the idea of “public non-state spaces” and eliminate the requirement of state approval so that artists can present their work freely to the public.