Porno Para Ricardo members arrested, handcuffed & detained 10 hours. Concert canceled

More information in Nov. 27 and Nov. 28 press releases below from PPR

Porno Para Ricardo “I Love my CDR” Concert Canceled following Arrests and Threats Musical Instruments would be Confiscated

NOVEMBER 27, 2010.

The members of Porno Para Ricardo were arrested on Friday, when traveling toward the home of Silvio Benítez (Liberal Party President of the Republic of Cuba) in Punta Brava, to go and leave some of the instruments they were going to use for the concert "I love my CDR. " This concert was scheduled to kick off the tour of the same name.



Ciro Diaz (guitar), Hebert Dominguez (bass) and Claudio Fuentes photographer were taken to the 5th Station of Playa and Gorki Águila (vocals) and William Retureta were taken to the station of Siboney. All were handcuffed and taken in patrol cars to police stations where they were accused of "carrying instruments of dubious origin." Ten hours later they released them.



The concert scheduled for tonight at 7, will be canceled because the instruments and sound equipment may not be transported and run the risk of being confiscated by the authorities. Gorki Aguila has reported the harassment of a patrol car that follows him everywhere since the announcement of the concert.

Today, Saturday, November 27, Gorki has been cited by authorities at the Immigration Offices, the reasons are still unknown, but it is feared that the subpoena is related to the invitation that the group has received to travel to Los Angeles, California, to a cultural event that will have Polish leader Lech Walesa and Patty Smith scheduled to be present.

Porno Para Ricardo Havana,

November 27, 2010.

(original press release in Spanish)

Gorki Águila (center) wearing Dr. Biscet t-shirt


Porno para Ricardo’s Gorki Águila asks Immigration Police during interrogation: "Why are you so concerned about a small rock group? … It's only rock and roll."

NOVEMBER 28, 2010


After the arrests suffered by the members of Porno Para Ricardo on Friday, November 26, Gorki Águila (singer and guitarist) was requested to appear on Saturday afternoon at the immigration office for questioning about his music, the concert in Punta Brava and an interview he recently gave to Radio Martí, the questioning was intended to intimidate him with refusing to allow him to leave the country, where the group is in the midst of the process to attend a cultural event in Los Angeles, which will be attended by Lech Walesa and Patty Smith.

When the members of Porno Para Ricardo were arrested, all their belongings were temporarily confiscated. The police erased the footage that the musicians had made of the police harassment and the lyrics of the songs that were in the guitar case of Gorki Aguila.

On the night of November 27, 2010, there was a major operation outside the house of the musician Gorki Águila, in the municipality of Playa. From the balcony of his apartment, you can see the presence of police, state security, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and the Rapid Response Brigades. All these elements have maintained a permanent surveillance and harassment along with open confrontation.

In the interview with the Immigration Police, Gorki Aguila said:

"Why are you so concerned about a small rock group that only plays a few songs to which you have removed all artistic value; why give it so much importance if we are not up in arms? It's only rock and roll."


Porno Para Ricardo
Laura García Freyre, Manager, 28 November 2010

(original press release in Spanish)