Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara

Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (Havana, December 2, 1987) is a self-taught Cuban artist internationally recognized for his performances openly criticizing the Cuban government's policies and defending freedom of expression. He lives in the El Cerro neighborhood of Havana.

Since 2018, Alcántara has been arrested dozens of times for performing works that violate Decree 349, a Cuban law requiring artists to obtain advance permission for public and private exhibitions. He is one of the founders and most visible figures of the San Isidro Movement, a diverse collective of artists, journalists, and activists defending freedom of expression in Cuba.

He was detained on July 11, 2021, during the historic popular protests in Cuba. In June 2022, he was sentenced to five years in prison for "contempt," "insult to patriotic symbols," and "public disorder," and was sent to the maximum-security Guanajay prison in Artemisa province. Amnesty International recognizes him as a prisoner of conscience.

In 2025 he was awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent. His sentence was due to expire on July 9, 2026, but Cuba's Supreme Court Criminal Chamber rejected an appeal on his behalf in April 2026. That same month he published a testimony from prison in The New York Times, recounting his experience and demanding his release.