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| Cuban artist El Sexto released from jail for planned art piece criticizing Castros | Cuban artist El Sexto released from jail for planned art piece criticizing Castros |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Cuban artist known as El Sexto has been freed after spending 10 months behind bars for attempting to release two pigs painted with the names of Raúl and Fidel Castro, in a case that international human rights advocates called an attack on freedom of expression. | |
| Danilo Maldonado’s case was taken up by international human rights groups who called it a sign of the Cuban government’s continued intolerance of criticism, despite the declaration of detente with the United States a week before Maldonaldo’s attempted piece of protest performance art. | Danilo Maldonado’s case was taken up by international human rights groups who called it a sign of the Cuban government’s continued intolerance of criticism, despite the declaration of detente with the United States a week before Maldonaldo’s attempted piece of protest performance art. |
| He told the Associated Press that he had been held without charge since 25 December “simply because I made fun of the highest leaders of this revolution”. | He told the Associated Press that he had been held without charge since 25 December “simply because I made fun of the highest leaders of this revolution”. |
| “I was in prison this morning and they told me to get my things and I obeyed,” Maldonado said. “Afterwards, they told that they were finally going to set me free.” | |
| Amnesty International and other human rights groups had been calling for Maldonado’s release for several months. | |
| He was arrested on 25 December as he drove toward a central Havana park in a rented car with two pigs slathered with green paint and the first names, in red, of Cuba’s revolutionary leader and his brother, who has led the country since 2008. | He was arrested on 25 December as he drove toward a central Havana park in a rented car with two pigs slathered with green paint and the first names, in red, of Cuba’s revolutionary leader and his brother, who has led the country since 2008. |
| While never formally charged, he was accused of the crime of disrespect toward government officials, a violation that rarely results in long-term detention. | While never formally charged, he was accused of the crime of disrespect toward government officials, a violation that rarely results in long-term detention. |
| “We are very happy to learn that in the end he is being freed,” said Robin Guittard, Caribbean campaigner for Amnesty International. “He’s just an artist who tried to do an art show, to use his legitimate right to freedom of expression. That should never lead people to be sent to prison. That’s a very cold reminder of what’s the situation of freedom of expression today in Cuba.” | “We are very happy to learn that in the end he is being freed,” said Robin Guittard, Caribbean campaigner for Amnesty International. “He’s just an artist who tried to do an art show, to use his legitimate right to freedom of expression. That should never lead people to be sent to prison. That’s a very cold reminder of what’s the situation of freedom of expression today in Cuba.” |
| In April, Maldonado received the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent from the New York-based Human Rights Foundation. | In April, Maldonado received the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent from the New York-based Human Rights Foundation. |
| Dressed in gray shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt, Maldonaldo munched a sandwich Tuesday afternoon as relatives, well-wishers and international reporters began to fill his home. | Dressed in gray shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt, Maldonaldo munched a sandwich Tuesday afternoon as relatives, well-wishers and international reporters began to fill his home. |
| “I want to now connect with the people that supported me,” he said, telling the AP that he planned to request a visa for the United States and travel to Miami “to be close to people who think like I do, people in exile, who had to leave”. | “I want to now connect with the people that supported me,” he said, telling the AP that he planned to request a visa for the United States and travel to Miami “to be close to people who think like I do, people in exile, who had to leave”. |
| He said he planned to recover his strength and energy and return to Cuba after six months. | He said he planned to recover his strength and energy and return to Cuba after six months. |