Danilo Maldonado "El Sexto" freed and back home in Cuba after 10 months

Prisoner of conscience freed but others remain imprisoned

Danilo Maldonado "El Sexto" freed yesterday in Cuba

 Danilo Maldonado "El Sexto" was arrested on December 25, 2014 for trying to carry out a perfomance art piece critical of the Castro brothers. Nearly 10 months later Danilo Maldonado is back home with his mom, who campaigned for his release, in the picture above. Sadly many otherzs are still behind bars, including at least one other artist, the rapper Maikel Castillo Pérez whose stage name is Maikel Oksobo - El Dkano.

 Maikel was sentenced to a year in prison in Havana on January 28, 2015. He was targeted for having used music to express his dissenting political opinions. Maikel was sentenced under a charge known as ‘peligrosidad predelictiva’ (‘pre-criminal dangerousness’).The 31-year-old’s lyrics are known for criticizing the Castro regime. He once described his style as that of someone who “doesn’t make concessions with a system full of liars.” In the video below 'Por ti señor' (For you Mister) the rapper challenges the record of Fidel Castro and describes how the dictator has failed Cubans.


 In August 2015 another rapper, El Funky, and a friend of Maikel made public the video " Pensar diferente en Cuba es un problema" (Thinking different in Cuba is a problem) calling for the jailed rapper's freedom.

#RaiseYourVoice for Cuba's prisoners of conscience and victims of regime violence

Please #RaiseYourVoice

Amnesty International is circulating an Urgent Action for Cuban artist Danilo Maldonado, known as El Sexto, and there are only 5 days and 11 hours remaining with 864 letters already sent out of a goal of 1,200.  Amnesty International in Australia provided more information on El Sexto's plight:

Meet Danilo Maldonaldo Machado, popularly known as El Sexto.

Danilo is a Cuban graffiti artist who campaigns for human rights through artistic work. He’s now in prison without charge for peacefully exercising his freedom of expression.
In 2014 Danilo was arrested by Cuban police for transporting two pigs to an art show with the names of Cuban leaders – ‘Raúl’ and ‘Fidel’ – painted on them. Officials accused Danilo of “aggravated contempt”, claiming that painting the pigs disrespected the Cuban leaders of the Revolution. Danilo was then imprisoned under the country’s harsh laws.

This is an attack on freedom of expression and an attempt to silence political criticism.
Danilo continues to fight for freedom. He participated in two hunger strikes which were both cut short after officials allegedly assured him that he’d be released. This wasn’t the case. Danilo remains in prison and needs your help.

Danilo’s mother has asked Amnesty to help her son. Please stand up and demand his freedom.

The good news is that Danilo Maldonado's plight is resonating in the press with reports in the BBC, and the Amnesty International campaign for his release.

The bad news is that this is the tip of the iceberg with more than 300 arrests this past Sunday and three activists still jailed for addressing Pope Francis last month. Not to mention that Danilo is not the only artist behind bars in Cuba.

Maikel Castillo Pérez  stage name, El Dkano - Maikel Oksobo

On January 28, 2015, the rapper Maikel Castillo Pérez  stage name, El Dkano - Maikel Oksobo, was sentenced to a year in prison in Havana. He was targeted for having used music to express his dissenting political opinions. El Dkano was sentenced under a charge known as ‘peligrosidad predelictiva’ (‘dangerousness that is likely leading to a crime’), which is used to imprison dissidents for long terms. His defense attorney told a reporter from Diario de Cuba that prosecutors wanted the judge to sentence him to five years. The 31-year-old’s lyrics are known for criticizing the Castro regime. He once described his style as that of someone who “doesn’t make concessions with a system full of liars.”

It is of great importance not only to raise your voice for Cuba's prisoners of conscience but also for Cuba's dissidents who have been the victims of regime violence such as Sirley Ávila León who was the victim of a regime orchestrated machete attack on May 24, 2015 that led to the loss of her left hand and crippling machete blows to her right arm and both knees. There have been other attacks prior to this one targeting opposition activists.

Lastly, it is important to raise you voice and demand truth and justice in the extrajudicial killings of nonviolent activists such as Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante who were targeted and murdered by state security on July 22, 2012.

Cuban artist initiates hunger strike after 8 months jailed without a trial

#FreeElSexto

"El Sexto" jailed for 8 months without trial and now on hunger strike

Cuban performance artist, Danilo Maldonado "El Sexto", has been arbitrarily detained since December 25, 2014 for attempting to carry out a performance art piece.  Two weeks ago he had been told that he would be released on August 24, 2015. The day came and went and on the eighth month of his detention without trial "El Sexto" initiated a hunger strike at Valle Grande prison in Havana.

He is not the only young artist imprisoned in Cuba. Others have been jailed for what can only be called an Orwellian thought crime.

The rapper Maikel Oksobo "El Dkano" was sentenced on January 28, 2015 to a year in prison for "pre-criminal social dangerousness" and is currently serving out this unjust sentence.

The human rights situation in Cuba continues to deteriorate and there is a correlation with the new Cuba policy that through its actions send a clear message to the dictatorship that trade not human rights is the new priority. 674 detentions were documented in the month of July 2015 alone. On August 21, 2015 two young activists, Jordys Manuel Dosil Fong (age 30) and Reinier Rodriguez Mendoza (age37) were subjected to a political show trial in Cuba and sentenced to prison for "pre-criminal social dangerousness." Jordys Manuel was sentenced to three years in prison and Renier was sentenced to two years in prison.

Other artists and musicians organized a concert last week demanding freedom for "El Sexto" with friends and family of the imprisoned artist. Below is a video clip.

Rapper in Rapper Out: Castro's Revolving Prison Door for Dissenters

The rapper El Critico was released on January 9, 2015 and 21 days later the rapper El Dkano took his place in the revolving prison being sentenced on January 28 to a year in prison for "pre-criminal dangerousness."

Free Muse report on February 4, 2015 reported on another jailed Cuban rapper

El Dkano (real name: Maikel Oksobo)

On 28 January 2015, the rapper El Dkano (real name: Maikel Oksobo) was sentenced to a year in prison in Havana. It is generally believed he was targeted for having used music to express his dissenting political opinions.

El Dkano was sentenced under a charge known as ‘peligrosidad predelictiva’ (‘dangerousness that is likely leading to a crime’), which is used to imprison dissidents for long terms. His defense attorney told a reporter from Diario de Cuba that prosecutors wanted the judge to sentence him to five years.
The 31-year-old’s lyrics are known for criticising the Castro regime. He once described his style as that of someone who “doesn’t make concessions with a system full of liars.”

“Unjust charge”

“Cuba over the years has produced and supported many great artists, but it is appalling that the Cuban authorities continue to repress artists, who are addressing serious problems,” said Ole Reitov, Freemuse Executive Director. “A solid state system should not fear but stimulate artistic freedom and live up to international conventions guaranteeing freedom of speech.”

American Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said during a House Foreign Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., that the Castro regime is once again slapping a Cuban rapper with an unjust charge.
As part of the Obama-Castro deal of 17 December 2014, another imprisoned rapper, El Critico (real name: Ángel Yunier Remón) was recently released from prison.

Cuban artist Danilo Maldonado (‘El Sexto’) remains imprisoned since Christmas Day 2014 and is currently in poor health, battling pneumonia in the Valle Grande Prison.


» Local 10 – 4 February 2015:
Miami Republican shows concern for Cuban rappers’ lack of freedom


» AmericaTevé – 29 January 2015:
Condenan a un año de cárcel a rapero contestatario


» Capitol Hill Cubans – 28 January 2015:
Cuban Dissident Rapper Gets One-Year Prison Sentence Today


» Diario de Cuba – 28 January 2015:
Condenan a un año de cárcel al rapero contestatario Maikel Oksobo


» Diario de Cuba – 28 January 2015:
Música contestataria y corrupción judicial