Whereabouts of artist imprisoned after 2021 protests had been unknown following end of his prison term in July Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent Cuban dissident artist whose…

Whereabouts of artist imprisoned after 2021 protests had been unknown following end of his prison term in July Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent Cuban dissident artist whose whereabouts remained unknown after his prison sentence ended last week, has been given permission to travel to the US, according to his official Facebook page. Otero Alcántara, designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 for insulting national symbols, contempt and disturbing the public order. He was detained in July 2021 as he was leaving his home in Havana to join unprecedented mass protests across the communist island. On Friday, a post on a Facebook page managed by his close friends read: “The parole application of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara to enter the United States has been approved.” In this instance, “parole” refers to entering and temporarily residing in the US. The 38-year-old was transferred from a prison to a state security force facility on 7 July, two days before finishing his term. Cuban authorities have not provided any information about his whereabouts since then.