PEN International, a worldwide organization that advocates for freedom of expression, is calling out the communist Castro dictatorship for its continued persecution of writers and artists. The Cuban regime has maintained its continual harassment of independent voices on the island, subjecting them to persecution, arbitrary arrests, and imprisonment for expressing an opinion contrary to the Cuban Communist Party.
Cuba: Authorities Must Stop Harassment and Arbitrary Detention of Writers and Artists
“We are deeply concerned about the Cuban authorities’ escalating crackdown on artists, writers, and journalists expressing views critical of the government. There is never any justification for the suppression of free speech or artistic expression. The global PEN community strongly urges an end to this persecution and censorship and demands their immediate release.” Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International.
9 May 2024: PEN International, Cuban Writers in Exile PEN Centre, and Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) express deep concern over the increasing use of arbitrary detentions, threats, and summonses by Cuban authorities against dissident writers, journalists, and artists. This includes threatening statements made by Cuban authorities and public officials in April, warning of potential criminal sanctions for individuals involved in mass protests, including lengthy prison sentences and the death penalty, echoing concerns raised by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This escalation in the persecution of members of the artistic sector coincides with significant protests in March by Cuban citizens demanding improved economic and living conditions.
“Independent artists and cultural professionals on the island have long used their creative expression in the struggle for greater human rights. Creatives’ role in advancing new ideas, promoting dialogue, and bearing witness to inhumanity have continuously put them in the Cuban government’s crosshairs,” said ARC Managing Director, Julie Trébault.
“For six decades, the Cuban authorities have systematically sought new ways to suppress any and all dissent, particularly targeting freedom of expression. Writers and journalists had traditionally been harassed, jailed, and forced into exile. In recent years, the repression has ramped up to keep up with the growth of internet and social media platforms that serve as outlets for creatives in Cuba,” declared Daniel I. Pedreira, President of PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile.
Recent Cases of Increased Harassment Include:
José Luis Tan Estrada – On April 26, the journalist, blogger, academic, and correspondent for Cubanet was detained for six days at the “Villa Marista” prison in Havana, Cuba, for alleged “incitement to commit a crime” before an international campaign prompted his release. He reported experiencing physical and psychological mistreatment during his detention. On April 16, Tan Estrada was summoned and interrogated twice within 72 hours in Camagüey by the Ministry of the Interior and fined 3,000 pesos for allegedly violating Decree-Law 370 with his social media posts. Tan Estrada reported that he has been subject to targeted and increasing state harassment due to the popularity of his blog, Tanteando Cuba, and that his dismissal as a professor from the University of Camagüey in December 2022 directly results from his critical expression.
Alina Bárbara López – On April 18, the writer was arbitrarily detained at the Bacunayagua police checkpoint during one of her monthly peaceful protests against the censorship of artists. López reported being physically assaulted and forced into a patrol car after refusing police orders to return home. According to her daughter, she was held incommunicado for several hours.
Camila Acosta – On April 21, the journalist and author was arbitrarily detained by police officials in Matanzas while visiting relatives of political prisoners.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara – Arrested on July 11, 2021, the artist was sentenced in June 2022 to five years in prison for his activism. In January 2024, the Artemisa Provincial People’s Court rejected his application for conditional release, arguing that he was not ready for social reintegration. Otero Alcántara has undertaken at least six hunger strikes, in part to demand his release and demonstrate his refusal to accept the conditions of his imprisonment: “the endless bars, the stone beds, the white light that is never turned off, [and] the 20 minutes a week on the phone.”
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