The Rafto Human Rights Award was presented on Thursday, September 19, to Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, currently imprisoned in his country. “for his courageous opposition to authoritarianism through art”.
“Otero Alcántara leads a new generation of independent Cuban voices using creative forms of resistance to challenge authoritarian rule”argued the Rafto Foundation, based in Bergen, western Norway. “Like many artists before him, his art and civic engagement push the boundaries of freedom of expression in the face of censorship and repression”he added.
Artist – a contraction of the words “artist” and “activist” – Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a 36-year-old self-taught artist, already arrested several times in the past, has been detained in Cuba since July 11, 2021. That day, the visual artist was arrested as he left his home in Havana to join the anti-government demonstrations that brought together thousands of Cubans to demand more freedoms and better living conditions.
Considered a “prisoner of conscience” Amnesty International later sentenced him, in 2022, to five years in prison for insulting the symbols of the country, disrespecting the country and disturbing public order.
For the Cuban communist regime, he is not an artist, but an agent in the service of the United States, which is accused of having orchestrated the demonstrations to destabilize the country.
1,000 political prisoners in Cuba
According to official figures, some 500 Cubans were sentenced to up to twenty-five years in prison for their participation in these historic demonstrations on July 11 and 12, 2021.
Several human rights organizations and the United States Embassy estimate that there are up to 1,000 political prisoners on the island.
Founded in 1987, the Rafto Foundation and its $20,000 prize are named after Norwegian historian and human rights activist Thorolf Rafto, who died a year earlier.
Among the former winners, four (Burmese Aung San Suu Kyi, East Timorese José Ramos-Horta, South Korean Kim Dae-Jung and Iranian Shirin Ebadi then won the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced on October 11 in Oslo.
