Two years ago on July 11 Cubans all over the island – from Santiago de Cuba to Havana – took to the streets in protest. They were fed up with progressive impoverishment, lack of food, lack of work, lack of decent standard of life. The protesters shouted the slogan “Patria y Vida” (Fatherland and Life), which was their response to Fidel Castro’s famous cry “Patria o Muerte” (Motherland or Death). Cubans that day chose LIFE without fear, which they have lived for the last 62 years, and demanded apart from bread, freedom and the end of regime.
The regime’s response was a massive repression. Armed officers and undercover agents arrested hundreds of people. “All the revolutionaries in the country and all the communists” were called by the regime to go to the streets and give the protesters a “proper resistance”. One of the social group that was blamed for mass demonstrations, were the independent artists because since 2018, they have been the loudest in demanding freedom. Immediately after the protests broke out Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara was arrested and later sentenced to prison. It’s been 2 years since the demonstrations and his captivity! Luis Manuel started a hunger strike just a few days ago.
resistArt gallery wants to commemorate these days of protest by posting messages from the artists that are represented by the gallery on our social media Facebook and Instagram. The artists that the Cuban regime has not manged to silence.
We asked our artists to say what July 11 means to them.
