Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Missing After Release, US Grants Parole

Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara completed a five‑year prison sentence on 9 July 2026. Two days earlier, on 7 July, he was forcibly removed from the maximum‑security Guanajay prison in a large‑scale operation and taken to an undisclosed location. His whereabouts remain unknown, and human‑rights group Cubalex has filed a habeas‑corpus petition, urging the Provincial Popular Court of Havana to issue a decision within the legally required 72‑hour window. The court has repeatedly delayed its response, prompting accusations of illegal obstruction.

The United States approved an immigration parole for Otero Alcántara, announcing that he could travel to Miami within hours. Supporters say his release is conditioned on exile, and the parole approval is seen as a step toward his imminent departure. International bodies, including the UN Committee Against Enforced Disappearances, have called on Cuban authorities to disclose his location and end his unlawful detention.