U.S. removes Cuba from list of countries not cooperating fully against terrorism
NBCMay 31
Jailed Cuban Dissident Leader Wins Annual Human Rights Award
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Above: Protesters gather during Rally for Democracy in Cuba at Miami Dade College's Freedom Tower, in Miami on July 17, 2021. Image copyright: Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The Facts
The Norway-based Rafto Foundation for Human Rights announced on Thursday that its annual prize has been awarded to the imprisoned Cuban activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara for his "fearless opposition to authoritarianism through art."
The 36-year-old artist is a prominent member of the San Isidro Movement, an artists' collective established in 2018 to protest a decree requiring artists to obtain advance permission for performances and that was behind protests in 2021.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Otero Alcántara has organized an artists' collective to fight for freedom against Cuba's Soviet-style security state even if that meant being defamed and put behind bars. He should long have been released from prison, and hopefully, this well-deserved award will put a spotlight on his plight.
Establishment-critical narrative
Otero Alcántara has never been an artist as he pretends to be, but rather a problematic figure who used art to unashamedly disrespect the national flag. Given that he has closely worked with US-backed entities seeking to destabilize progressive countries, it's no surprise that a Western organization awarded him a prize this week.
