NEW YORK – Tania Bruguera, the Cuban artist charged with Incitation to Public Disturbance, Resistance to Police, and Incitation to Commit Delinquent Acts for placing an open microphone in Havana’s Revolution Square, has landed safely at JFK Airport in New York City.
This marks the end of eight months facing legal action in Cuba for the artist, who holds dual Cuban and American citizenship. Bruguera had previously stated that she would not leave Cuba without a written letter confirming her ability to return.
Tania Bruguera is pictured in Havana’s Revolution Square, where her performance “Yo También Exijo” (I Also Demand) was cut off by Cuban authorities. The artwork consisted of an open microphone, and an invitation for Cubans to speak their minds. On Friday the artist was allowed to flee Cuba, and she is currently in New York (NPR.)
Bruguera had her passport returned by Cuban authorities on July 10 of this year.
A strong community of activists and artists rallied around Bruguera, coordinated by the artist’s #YoTambienExijo platform, with The Voice Project running a major campaign of support and artists such as Pussy Riot advocating publicly for the government case against her to be dropped.
The #YoTambienExijo campaign posted the following message online:
Art is free! Today our spokeswoman Tania Bruguera is almost at peace, with no one following her, without the call that tell you “no.” Today Tania Bruguera rests while a dove is released outside her home in Old Havana where she was arrested. “I have a desire to see you,” she told her sister Deborah Bruguera as she flew to the city where she will continue to exercise her art and activism.
The #YoTambienExijo campaign, named after the performance which led to Bruguera’s arrest, gained major momentum throughout the artist’s legal process (Yo También Exijo.)
While Bruguera has made it safely abroad, the platforms that advocated for her freedom remain wary of Cuba’s hostile stance toward free expression. Bruguera’s contemporary Danilo Maldonado Machado (known as “El Sexto,” meaning, “The Sixth) remains detained in a Havana prison awaiting charges.
El Sexto is being held over a performance in which he walked two pigs named Fidel and Raúl down the street. The Voice Project continues to partner with the #YoTambienExijo platform in pushing for El Sexto’s release.
Tania Bruguera arrived to New York to participate in Yale’s World Fellowship program. She is being honored as a fellow in September for her work for free expression and in advocacy for immigrants.
#YoTambienExijo released the following press statement:
After 8 months in Cuba #TaniaBruguera just landed from Havana at JFK airport in New York City. She is there to participate as Fellow 2015 in Yale World Fellowship. She has been received at JFK by a functionary of Yale.
The artist told the #YoTambienExijo Platform about her departure during the flight through the wireless network. Not before to avoid “contacts” with Security of State, or some other incident on her way to the airport of Havana. Either way, the Cuban Intelligence agent ‘Javier’ went to the airport and made her clear that he was there because he had been warned that Tania was heading to the airport as person monitored by the government and to let her know that he will be visit NYC in September.
DEVELOPING NEWS… //
The Voice Project will continue to update this story as it develops.