Cuban Authorities Lock Down Would-Be Protesters
State security forces in Cuba today prevented demonstrators from taking part in a planned rally to protest ongoing repression and persecution on the island, barricading artists, journalists, and activists… More
Imprisoned Cuban Rapper Maykel ‘Osorbo’ Castillo Begins Hunger Strike
Cuban artist Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo began a hunger strike in protest of his imprisonment and Cuba’s broader crackdown on free expression. More
PEN America Issues Urgent Call to Release Hunger Striking Cuban Artist
PEN America and PEN International today issued their pressing concern over the health of imprisoned Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. More
Imprisoned Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Begins Hunger Strike
Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who has been incarcerated in a high-security prison since July, began a hunger strike this week in protest of his imprisonment and ongoing… More
Cuban Artist and Activist Hamlet Lavastida Released From Detention
Cuban artist and activist Hamlet Lavastida was released Saturday after three months in detention. More
New Network Launching to Provide Support to Artists at Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean
PEN America announced today it is launching a network to provide rapid response support for artists across Latin America and the Caribbean. More
Cuba: Writers and artists remain threatened and imprisoned two months after protests
In the two months since historic mass demonstrations swept through Cuba on July 11, there have been at least 39 documented arrests of artists related to the protests, four… More
Artists at Risk Connection Releases New Podcast, ‘Creating Artistic Resilience: Voices of Asia’
In a limited-run podcast Creating Artistic Resilience: Voices of Asia from PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection, five artists and cultural rights defenders from Myanmar, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the… More
PEN America Decries Russia’s Expulsion of Comedian
The Russian government this week issued an order permanently expelling Idrak Mirzalizade, a Belarusian standup comedian, from Russia in retaliation for a joke he made about racial discrimination in… More
New Cuban Cyber Security Laws Will Deepen Government Repression
A new package of cyber security laws introduced last week in Cuba threaten to further curtail online dissent and pose an ever-greater threat to free expression in a country… More