The offensive against critical artists does not increase



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Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara spent two days in detention after the act of protest that he attempted to conduct last Saturday with five other artists against Decree 349 which regulates artistic performances in private spaces [19659002]. Also by Soandry del Río, José Ernesto Alonso, Iris Ruiz, Amaury Pacheco and Yanelys Núñez, the only one of the six gathered on the Capitol steps in Havana who was not arrested despite his face covered with feces and holding a poster asking for "free art". The founder of # 00Bienal spent 48 hours in a police station while his colleagues were released within hours of arrest.

"They beat me from the Capitol to the unit and told me that I had to respect the police.They hit me as if they wanted to break me. Spine "

" They beat me from Capitol to Unity and told me that I had to respect the police. They beat me as they wanted. break my spine, "denounces Otero Alcántara in a conversation held with 14ymedio hours after his release

The artist explains that the afternoon was calm and that the l 39; protest action had not yet started when the police appeared and arrested them. Although Otero admits to having been shocked he reacted by arguing that he was a citizen sitting in a public space that could not be separated without evidence of having committed any crime. to place him in a handcuffed patrol. The officer who arrested him refused to explain to him the reasons for his detention, so the creator resisted.

At the Zanja Street Police Station, the Kenyan official dealt with the case of other artists. like Tania Bruguera, she threatened Otero with imprisoning him for many years to avoid his artistic actions. The young man responded that he was already preparing the second edition of the Alternative Biennial that he organized last May for his "responsibility over time."

"You can be a graduate of a school, but if they want, you can get the record of the Creator"

The group of artists decided to conduct a protest action to be ignored by the Minister of Culture, who had ordered a letter to claim precisely what the decree prevents. "We wanted to be able to meet with the minister to clarify the independence of Cuban art that goes from music to dance, everything we want." to be a graduate artist to have a space of legitimacy and now the space of allegiance is such that tomorrow you can disappear from your house to sell a painting, "denounces

In addition, Otero Alcántara warns that this decree affects not only independent artists but also those who depend on the institution. "You may be graduating from a school, but if you wish, you can delete the Creator's Registry, as it came with # 00Bienal, and so be part of the list of artists who decide to remove everything.

For the artist, the decree "stoned all contemporary Cuban culture, all that is not official and does not fall into the cannon, is going" and is "a very clear answer "to the challenge that this represented for the authorities The exceptional protest of Yanelis Núñez is, for Otero Alcántara, symbolic and very courageous:" It's crap as a symbol of what we feel and how they treat us He says.

Pacheco feels "very happy" that "at least five people" have taken this step against a decree that considers "a shot at the head of Cuban art"

Amaury Pacheco, another of those who participated in the action and one of those who managed to record the moment of the arrest of Otero Alcántara, also celebrates this intervention which refers to the performance of Ángel Delgado, an artist who defecated on a copy of Granma . "Now, shit is on us in the form of protest and that makes us untouchable … Yanelys could not touch her and we carry the shit that was poured all the time to the Capitol, directly to her stairs," she said. he says. he feels "very happy" that "at least five people" have taken this step against a decree that considers "a blow to the head of Cuban art" and a tool of the government to make disappear completely the. alternative space by preventing unauthorized activities in private homes. With that they will disappear, will support, events like Endless Poetry or an independent next Biennale

These facts coincide with an offensive against cultural activities by the Government

A few days ago, Alpidio Alonso became Minister of Culture . . Pacheco recalled that the new owner of the area became famous in Alamar at the time of the "triunvirato" that he formed with Rojas and Jacomino and that he directed in those years the policy of the Hermanos Saíz Association. "If now a figure with this background appears as Minister of Culture, a strong position of Cuban artists must also appear."

On Monday, "14ymedio" was able to confirm with the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICAIC) that Ramón Samada is the new president of the organization

In addition, this Monday 14ymedio was able to confirm with the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICAIC) that Ramón Samada is the new president of the organization. The appointment was not announced in the official media, although it probably took place last month. In a note on Havana's German Film Week published in Havana, he was already identified as the ICAIC's highest authority

Samada is an uncompromising official known to have organized several controversial attempts to silence the opponents. In 2015, he promoted the attempt to oust Eliécer Ávila from one of the G-20 bademblies, a group of filmmakers who are demanding a film law on the island.

Years ago, even in 2010, he banned the entry of several critics with the government of the Cinematheque Chaplin cinema, where held the eighth exhibition of young filmmakers. On this occasion he was going to project the documentary Revolution devoted to the group of hip hop Los Aldeanos. Ciro Javier Díaz Penado and Claudio Fuentes are among the artists who have been prevented from entering.

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The 14ymedio team is committed to making a serious journalism that reflects the reality of Cuba. deep Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue to support us, but this time by becoming a member of 14ymedio . Together, we can continue to transform journalism in Cuba

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