In recent months, Cuban artists have made several political-themed music videos. “Unlock me”, by Raúl Torres, denounces the US blockade (1). “Don’t get involved”, by the comedian Virulo, the interference of the White House on the Island (2). But have they interested the international press, the Spanish one for example? Zero.
But if, from Miami, they release a song against the Cuban government, then yes. We have countless news and a whole week of interviews in newspapers, radio and television (3) (4). This is the case of “Patria y Vida”, whose author, Yotuel Romero, was invited to a session of the European Parliament by two right-wing deputies who advocate destroying the current European Union-Cuba Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (5). Romero announced that he would do so – listen carefully, which is not a joke – “in the name of all Cuba” (6).
He was also received at the Spanish Congress (7), and stated that “everything I have learned about freedom of expression has been in Spain” (8). It was in the same week that the Catalan rapper Elgio (9) was sentenced to six months in prison, and protests continued over the imprisonment of another artist, Pablo Hasél (10). Yotuel Romero gave dozens of interviews: do you think anyone asked him about the subject?
“Patria y Vida” is a mixed operation of record marketing and political propaganda: Cuban artists, based in Miami, are looking for an economic boost to their careers in a year without concerts; for its part, the Cuban-American far right is using them to continue to press Joe Biden and prevent the “Obama route” of dialogue with Havana from being repeated (11).
The petitions to the contrary in the United States, which call for lifting sanctions on Cuba, are many more: religious organizations (12), Cuban emigration (13), NGOs and solidarity groups (14), mayors (15), congressmen (16)… But is there news or interviews about it in the corporate press? Virtually none.
We read headlines that confuse desire and reality (17): “’Patria y vida’, the song that has put the Cuban government against the ropes” (18), “The controversial song that shook the Cuban regime” (19) ( 20). The same announcement by Willy Chirino when he released his song “Our day is coming”… 30 years ago! (21).
And much, much victimism: “The Cuban state press attacks the song calling for changes on the island” (22), “The government calls Yotuel a ‘rider'” Romero (23). An absolute lie, because the qualifier “rider” belongs to a meme, very retweeted on the island, from a private account, not the government (24). “If something happens to my family, I hold the Cuban government accountable,” headlined several media outlets, creating news of something – alleged “retaliation” – that has not happened (25). The same media that have not published a line on the systematic persecution, in Miami, of artists from the Island. Last year, the mayor of that city declared two salsa singers, Paulito FG (26) and Haila María Mompié (27), ungrateful, causing the cancellation of their concerts in the United States (28). All, at the initiative of presenter and youtuber Alex Otaola (29). A key character to understand the participation, in the clip “Patria y Vida”, of Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno. Let’s remember.
A year ago, Alex Otaola launched a signature campaign for the US to withdraw the green card or permanent residence to the members of the duo Gente de Zona who (30) were also vetoed by the mayor of Miami at the end-of-year concert (31). In October, Otaola was able to interview, for his program, President Donald Trump himself (32), and gave him a “red list” of Cubans to whom to prevent entry into the country (33). Among them, the components of Area People and their families. Sin? Having greeted President Miguel Díaz-Canel during a concert in Havana (34). Overnight, the duo – who had a double residence in Miami and Havana – lost everything. His participation in the theme “Homeland and Life” is now his “purging.” Like their statements, without coming to terms, against the Cuban government: “When you grow up in a regime like the Cuban you get used to living in fear,” they have just stated (35). You understand “living in fear”, right?
The case of Descemer Bueno, another of the performers in the clip, is almost identical. His praise of Cuba’s medical cooperation and his condemnation of the US blockade (36) put him, a year ago, on the target of Alex Otaola, who, in months, managed to boycott his concerts in Miami and destroy his career (37). Descemer Bueno resisted, took the presenter to court… (38). But he lost the battle (39). And the purge arrived: without mediating any event, he began to attack the Cuban government (40) and knelt before Otaola, congratulating him even for his interview with Donald Trump and his struggle for the “freedom of Cuba” (41). And now comes “Homeland and Life.”
Another performer, Maykel Osorbo, does not look like a convert. A few months ago, do you know what you asked Donald Trump for? Listen: “I am in favor of an invasion right now. Are they going to invade Cuba? Come here ”(42). That is why he has declared, to the same media that silence his apology for the most atrocious terrorism against his country, that the song “Patria y Vida” is “a war anthem” (43).
“I’m going to tell you one thing, in this photo (the promotional of” Patria y Vida “with Descemer Bueno, Gente de Zona and Yotuel Romero) is summarized the work we have been doing in this program for four years”: this is how Alex showed Otaola, in his program, exultant, the result of his mafia persistence.
Do you want it clearer?
(To be continued)
Edition: Itsasne Rivera and Natalia Allende.
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vtROi4qZeg
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIt5idI8TR8
(3) https://www.niusdiario.es/internacional/entrevista-yotuel-artista-cubano-criticado-gobierno-cuba-considere-subversivo-patria-y-vida_18_3095670286.html
(4) https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-56135900
(5) https://www.diariodemallorca.es/cultura/2021/02/25/yotuel-romero-hay-represion-dura-35594999.html
(6) https://www.aldiafl.com/yotuel-romero-hablare-frente-al-parlamento-europeo-en-nombre-de-toda-cuba/
(7) https://www.libertaddigital.com/cultura/musica/2021-02-24/yotuel-cuba-patria-y-vida-libertad-derechos-6712848/
(8) https://www.bekia.es/sociedad/noticias/yotuel-romero-acude-congreso-diputados-defender-cancion/
(9) https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/384310-seis-meses-prision-rapero-elgio-espana
(10) https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/nacional/2021/02/20/se-repiten-las-manifestaciones-pidiendo-la-libertad-de-hasel-en-madrid-y-otras-ciudades -bear-a-great-police-face-to-face-1421337.html
(11) https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2021-02-23-u1-e186450-s27061-marco-rubio-promueve-cancion-patria-vida-mantener-asustado-al
(12) http://www.acn.cu/mundo/76690-piden-instituciones-religiosas-y-de-ayuda-humanitaria-de-ee-uu-normalizar-relaciones-con-cuba
(13) https://www.cubainformacion.tv/emigracion/20210119/89663/89663-carta-a-joe-biden-de-un-centenar-de-cubanos-y-cubanas-en-eeuu-pide-restablecer -visa-remittances-and-flights-and-advance-towards-the-end-of-the-blockade
(14) https://www.telesurtv.net/news/grupos-solidarios-piden-joe-biden-levantar-bloqueo-cuba-20210223-0028.html
(15) http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2021/02/25/consejo-de-ciudad-estadounidense-de-chicago-pide-cese-del-bloqueo-contra-cuba/
(16) http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2021/02/05/senadores-estadounidenses-presentan-proyecto-de-ley-para-poner-fin-al-bloqueo-contra-cuba/
(17) https://www.abc.es/internacional/abci-artistas-responden-represion-cubana-canto-libertad-acabo-rompio-silencio-202102172106_noticia.html
(18) https://www.lavanguardia.com/musica/20210225/6259187/patria-y-vida-cancion-contra-cuerdas-gobierno-cuba.html
(19) https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/internacional/cuba-protestas-sociales-regimen-patria-y-vida/809094/2021/
(20) https://www.dw.com/es/cuba-patria-o-muerte-o-patria-y-vida/a-56657124
(21) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WskMfHdoBmY
(22) https://www.efe.com/efe/america/cultura/la-prensa-estatal-cubana-arremete-contra-cancion-que-pide-cambios-en-isla/20000009-4468630
(23) https://www.cuballama.com/blog/gobierno-cubano-llama-a-yotuel-jinetero-y-beatriz-luengo-responde/
(24) https://twitter.com/lunamayo20/status/1362587193030680578
(25) https://www.asere.com/gente-de-zona-si-algo-le-pasa-a-mi-familia-responsabilizo-al-gobierno-cubano/
(26) https://www.msn.com/es-us/noticias/miami/alcalde-de-miami-declara-persona-non-grata-a-otro-artista-cubano/ar-BB1a4GNq
(27) https://www.radiotelevisionmarti.com/a/declaran-a-haila-persona-non-grata-y-suspenden-su-concierto-en-miami/252225.html
(28) https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2019-11-07-u65722-e65722-s27065-cancelan-concierto-haila-vegas-evitar-polemica-cubanos-eeuu
(29) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL6itKObwyc
(30) https://www.change.org/p/congresistas-cubanos-americanos-retirar-la-residencia-permanente-a-gente-de-zona
(31) https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/gente-zona-cantaran-miami-presion_1_1170852.html
(32) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rdRyLCxMxM
(33) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS-fwPEKphg
(34) https://www.14ymedio.com/cuba/Gente-Zona-Diaz-Canel-Laura-Pausini_0_2462753706.html
(35) https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/gente-zona-teme-familias-cuba-lanzar-patria-vida_1_7236833.html
(36) http://www.granma.cu/cultura/2020-04-06/descemer-pide-el-fin-del-bloqueo-de-ee-uu-contra-su-pueblo-06-04-2020 -23-04-04
(37) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VzSE8QZJI
(38) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR2uITvH0b8
(39) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQVMqjLB0fY
(40) https://www.radiotelevisionmarti.com/a/descemer-amenaza-con-ir-a-cuba-a-dar-machete-y-el-r%C3%A9gimen-responde-era-bueno-/ 269855.html
(41) https://www.periodicocubano.com/descemer-bueno-felicito-a-mi-enemigo-alexander-otaola-por-lo-que-hizo-con-trump/
(42) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw44D_gvIMc (min. 6:21)
(43) https://www.abc.es/internacional/abci-artistas-responden-represion-cubana-canto-libertad-acabo-rompio-silencio-202102172106_noticia.html
(Taken from Cubainformation)