Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent Cuban dissident artist, has arrived in the United States after completing a five-year prison sentence. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed his arrival on Saturday.
Otero Alcántara was detained in July 2021 as he attempted to join unprecedented mass protests across the island. In 2022, he was sentenced to five years in prison for disturbing the public order, contempt, and insulting national symbols. Amnesty International designated the artist as a prisoner of conscience.
Following the end of his prison term in July, Otero Alcántara's whereabouts were briefly unknown. However, he was subsequently granted permission to travel to the United States after being offered a visa. He flew to Miami on Saturday.