In Call to Release All Imprisoned Artists, "Voces Presas” Campaignn (Imprisoned Voices) Highlights 3 Artists Jailed for Their Art and Activism.
Contacto: Suzanne Trimel, STrimel@PEN.org, 201-247-5057
New York/London/Stockholm, Nov.17.– PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and PEN International, in partnership with Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), today launched a new campaign “Voces Presas” (Imprisoned Voices) to shine a light on the stories of imprisoned Cuban artists: poet María Cristina Garrido and rappers Richard Zamora Brito and Randy Arteaga-Rivera. The campaign calls for the release of all imprisoned artists in Cuba and the respect and guarantee of artistic freedom on the island.
The campaign includes profiles on each artist’s career, with music videos and other excerpts of their art, 
and documents the harassment and imprisonment they have faced as a result of Cuba’s repression of free and creative expression. The social media campaign calls on the international community to stand in solidarity with Cubans whose freedom of expression is under attack and demand that the Cuban government releases these and all artists imprisoned because of their political views.
“Dissident artists in Cuba have emerged on the frontlines of the protest movement in the country, using their platforms as creators to challenge the false narratives created by the Cuban government and call for the formation of a society where human rights are respected and protected,” said Julie Trébault, director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America. “But they have repeatedly paid a great price for their creative expression, finding themselves behind bars, under surveillance and house arrest, or forced into exile. We must acknowledge and respect the price paid by Cuban artists for their actions as dissenters and human rights defenders, and the best way to do so is by telling and uplifting their stories. With this campaign, we hope to shine a light on three remarkable Cuban artist-activists and motivate the international community to stand up for their rights and their freedom of expression.”
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