For years, Cuban artist and dissident Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has used art to challenge authoritarianism and defend freedom of expression. His work has come at an extraordinary personal cost, including years of imprisonment by the Cuban regime.
Throughout this journey, HRF has stood alongside Luis Manuel, amplifying his work, bringing his art to international audiences, pursuing legal action against his arbitrary detention, and recognizing his courage on the global stage. As a 2025 recipient of the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent, honored at the Oslo Freedom Forum, Luis Manuel embodies the power of artistic expression as a form of peaceful resistance.
Today, HRF is proud to celebrate our partnership with Fountainhead Arts, an internationally recognized artist residency program, to support Luis Manuel as a resident artist. This marks an important new chapter in his artistic journey and an opportunity for his work to reach an even wider audience.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara’s Participation in HRF’s Art in Protest Residency
During his residency, Luis Manuel will have the time, space, and resources to expand his practice — developing new work in a dedicated studio, working with curators and mentors, and connecting with other artists, collectors, and cultural leaders in Miami’s art community.
HRF will also support him in building the skills and networks to take his work to new audiences, culminating in an exhibition that will present work that he creates during the residency alongside pieces he has carried with him into exile.
Even behind bars, Luis Manuel never stopped creating. His story reflects a reality that dissident artists around the world share as they confront censorship, persecution, and forced exile while working to expose abuses and defend freedom of expression. These challenges disrupt careers and cut artists off from mentorship, funding, professional opportunities, and supportive networks, leaving many without the resources they need to sustain their work.
HRF’s Art in Protest Residency was created to close that gap. Each year, HRF and its cultural partners support up to five dissident artists facing political pressure and transnational repression with artistic mentorship, peer exchange, and public engagement. The goal reaches beyond the residency, aiming to equip artists to sustain their creative practice, professional growth, and activism for years to come.
For Luis Manuel, the residency offers a foundation on which he can continue the work that has made him one of Cuba’s most powerful voices for freedom, now with the reach to inspire others who are still fighting for the right to create freely. When artists like him have the support they need, their voices grow stronger — and so does the global movement for freedom and human rights.
A History of Solidarity
HRF’s commitment to Luis Manuel and his freedom spans years of advocacy, from speaking out against his arbitrary detention and mobilizing international support to celebrating his artistic contributions and welcoming him to New York after his release. Each milestone reflects a shared commitment to defending his freedom, amplifying his voice, and ensuring his work can continue. The timeline below traces that journey and the collective efforts that have brought us to this moment.
December 2020
“Cuba: Stop Criminalizing Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression”
HRF called on the Cuban regime to free all imprisoned artists, stop persecuting democracy activists, and guarantee Cubans’ right to free expression — documenting the San Isidro strike and the Nov. 26 raid on the movement’s headquarters.
June 2021
Digital Exhibition by Artists from the San Isidro Movement Asserts Art as a Form of Resistance
Under the title “Arte en Resistencia” (“Art in Resistance”), the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America — in collaboration with HRF’s Art in Protest program — launched a digital exhibition on Oct. 3, 2021. The exhibition brought together works by artists associated with Cuba’s San Isidro Movement, presenting them in an immersive 3D virtual experience.
October 2021
HRF Petitions the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Through its Impact Litigation program, HRF submitted a petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on behalf of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and fellow San Isidro Movement member Hamlet Lavastida, who had been forced into exile that September. The petition asked the WGAD to declare their detentions arbitrary and in violation of international law. It became the legal foundation of HRF’s advocacy for the remainder of Luis Manuel’s imprisonment.
June 2022
HRF Condemns the Sham Trials of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo
As a closed trial opened in Havana against Luis Manuel and San Isidro Movement rapper Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo, co-author of “Patria y Vida,” HRF denounced the proceedings as baseless and part of the regime’s campaign against anyone connected to the July 11 protests.
Cuba’s totalitarian dictatorship wants to make an example of these two prodemocracy heroes by offering them the same cruel deal it has offered to so many before them: leave Cuba or face years in prison,” HRF Chief Legal and Policy Officer Javier El-Hage said.
June 2022
“Los Héroes No Pesan” Exhibited at the Oslo Freedom Forum — First Showing Outside Cuba
HRF’s Art in Protest program presented Luis Manuel’s 2011 sculpture “Los Héroes No Pesan” (“Heroes Are No Burden”) at the 2022 Oslo Freedom Forum — the first time the work was shown outside Cuba. The exhibition honored the artist as he served his sentence in Guanajay Maximum Security Prison.
July 2022
One Year Anniversary of the July 11 Protests: Repression and Hope in Cuba
HRF published an article marking the first anniversary of Cuba’s July 11 protests, documenting the regime’s widespread arrests and ongoing repression. The article highlights Luis Manuel’s arrest and his final social media message before heading to Havana’s Malecón to join the demonstrations: “We’ve had enough of political prisoners. We want democracy.”
February 2023
HRF Succeeds in Joint UN Petition: Cuba Condemned for Detention of Artists
Acting on HRF’s petition, the WGAD issued its opinion: The 2021 arrests of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Hamlet Lavastida were arbitrary, in violation of Articles 3, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Cuba must release Luis Manuel immediately and provide compensation.
We welcome the UNWGAD’s decision condemning the Cuban regime’s harassment and intimidation campaign against Alcántara and Lavastida,” HRF Chief Advocacy Officer Roberto González said.
The Cuban regime ignored the WGAD’s opinion.
May 2025
Luis Manuel Receives 2025 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent
HRF announced Luis Manuel as one of three laureates of the 2025 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent — honoring him while he remained in prison — alongside Syrian artist Azza Abo Rebieh and Russian artist Sasha Skochilenko. The prize was presented at the Oslo Freedom Forum on May 26 by Sweden’s ambassador for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, Irina Schoulgin-Nyoni.
To imagine is to challenge what is, and envision what could be,” HRF CEO Thor Halvorssen said.
July 2025
A Gift From Prison: “Charcoal Portrait of Schrödinger’s Cat”
Luis Manuel gifted HRF an original piece from his conceptual work “Charcoal Portrait of Schrödinger’s Cat,” transforming his prison days into symbols of resistance.
December 2025
“Doors to Freedom” at Art Basel Miami Beach
HRF partnered with Cuban Freedom March and the City of Miami Beach to unveil “Doors to Freedom,” a public art installation featuring Luis Manuel among eight artists persecuted by authoritarian regimes. The installation highlighted Luis Manuel’s story and his use of art as an act of resistance, bringing his work and the experiences of other persecuted artists to a wider audience during Miami Art Week. “Doors to Freedom” was later displayed on Lincoln Road.
July 2026
HRF Condemns the Forced Exile of Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
Luis Manuel completed his five-year sentence on July 9. Rather than free him, Cuban State Security removed him from Guanajay Maximum Security Prison two days before his sentence ended and, on July 18, placed him on a flight to the United States. HRF welcomed his release but condemned the exile that was its price, urging democratic governments to “refuse to let forced exile be laundered as clemency.”
No one should confuse the end of an imprisonment with the restoration of liberty. To offer a citizen only prison or exile is to offer no genuine choice at all; it is coercion dressed as mercy,” HRF Chief Advocacy Officer Roberto González said.
September 2026
HRF Welcomes Luis Manuel to New York
HRF welcomed the 2025 Havel Prize laureate to its New York office — his first visit in forced exile and after five years behind bars. Pictured: Luis Manuel with Chief Advocacy Officer Roberto González.
Luis Manuel’s journey reflects both the extraordinary power of artistic expression and the personal cost of challenging authoritarianism. For years, HRF has worked to ensure his voice would not be silenced — pursuing legal action, bringing his work to international audiences, and mobilizing support for his release. His arrival in the United States marks the end of five years of imprisonment, but forced exile is not the same as freedom. As Luis Manuel begins this new chapter, HRF remains committed to supporting his work, amplifying his voice, and defending the freedom of artists and dissidents who continue to challenge repression in Cuba and around the world.
Art in Protest Program
For inquiries about the Art in Protest program, please contact [email protected]
