From our Bureau of Socialist Tolerance, Compassion, and Social Justice with some assistance from our Bureau of Troublesome Artists
He is serving a nine-year sentence for composing a song that Castro, Inc. didn’t like. Naturally, they accused him falsely of more serious crimes, including attempted murder. As usual — since he has attracted considerable attention abroad– Castro, Inc. is trying to shorten the sentence by killing him in prison. He has received various death threats from common prisoners and was viciously beaten by some of them last week.
His wife was able to see the injuries he received. Castro, Inc. is very disappointed that the beating he received wasn’t fatal. So, it’s highly likely they’ll keep trying until they succeed.
Loosely translated from Marti Noticias
“The regime, in combination with officials from Pinar del Río, has attempted to take my life,” declared the artist and prisoner of conscience Maykel Castillo Pérez “El Osorbo” from the maximum-security prison of Kilo 5 and a half in Pinar del Río, in a complaint that Amnesty International has echoed on Friday.
“Since May 2023, we have denounced threats against Maykel’s life, calls that the Cuban authorities have ignored. In August 2023, we activated an Urgent Action calling for his protection and freedom,” stated the human rights organization.
After his huge success with “Patria y Vida” and a wave of protests in favor of democracy, Maykel Osorbo was arrested and sentenced to 9 years in prison, accused of alleged charges of contempt, attempted murder, public disorder, and defamation of institutions and organizations.
The Latin Grammy-winning rapper describes in two letters a violent attack by another inmate that occurred on April 18, an episode in which he nearly lost part of an ear while handcuffed. He blames the prison officials in Pinar del Río for this.
Activist Anamely Ramos shared an audio message from the artist on Facebook and wrote about it: “For a year now, we have been alerting about episodes of violence against Maykel in prison. Violence is inherent to the country’s situation, especially in prisons and even more so in the case of political prisoners. Maykel knows this, which is why his first and last word is always: ‘I am a political prisoner,’ and today he adds in his audio: ‘they have to kill me face to face.’ Last week, a solidarity call raised the alarm that Maykel had been beaten by several. That same day, he called himself and told us he was okay, so we had hours of relief. It is important to understand that complaining is not easy for Maykel, and he cannot bear to see himself as a victim. During the visit, however, his wife was able to see with her own eyes the severity of Maykel’s injuries, especially on his left ear. She also saw the calmness and yet helplessness with which Maykel once again tried to fix things inside and continue enduring with dignity.”
“We immediately articulated a plan to reconstruct the events in detail and get his letters and audios out before Maykel was sent to the isolated cell, where he already is, with a security camera included, just for him,” wrote Ramos.
In previous messages, Amnesty International has referred to reports indicating that the member of the San Isidro Movement has received threats from other prisoners and that the Cuban authorities do not guarantee his safety.
On April 24, five members of the European Parliament mentioned El Osorbo’s case during a tribute to the more than a thousand political prisoners serving sentences in Cuban prisons. “Cuba is clearly a dictatorship and needs a transition to democracy,” the MEPs stated.
Also this month, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, affiliated with the OAS, and the United States Department of State, denounced the Cuban state’s repression against the defiant rapper.
In January, Human Rights Watch called for his freedom and reminded that El Osorbo and the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara were prosecuted for charges that violate their right to freedom of expression.
He may have gotten some attention, but NOTHING like what he would have gotten if Cuba were apartheid-era South Africa. But, if they kill him, he may get a little more attention, after it’s too late.