Cuban rapper and political prisoner Maykel "Osorbo" Castillo expressed skepticism about the recent releases announced by the Cuban regime. He sent a message to those benefiting from the measure: "Behave well, but don't compromise your principles." He emphasized, "Tremendous love for them. It's good they gained their freedom. Behave well, but don't change your principles. If you change your principles, you lose the concept. Principles are non-negotiable," during a series of phone conversations with writer and journalist Carlos Manuel Álvarez for the magazine El Estornudo.
Referring to the release process that benefited 192 prisoners following an agreement with the United States and the Vatican in mid-January—which has been stalled in the past week—Osorbo maintained a detached stance towards the news. "I'm always connected with the trees, with the gods. I haven't heard about any of that. I'm focused on my nine years, on 2030. That story doesn't interest me," he explained.
As one of the most prominent artists and activists opposing the Cuban regime, Osorbo made it clear that his life and political views have been deeply shaped by his imprisonment. Since 2021, the musician has been incarcerated for his activism against the Cuban government and says he is keeping his focus on 2030, when his nine-year sentence concludes. When Álvarez pressed him on whether he ever hoped to be among the 553 promised releases by the regime, Osorbo firmly replied, "No, nothing. If I think about anything else, I'd go crazy."
He explained that, for him, hoping for an early release is merely a destructive distraction: "The other day, I got caught up in it, was in the yard, and all my muscles tensed up, my blood pressure started rising," he confessed, recounting how a fleeting hope led to stress and despair. "I focus on 2030. If I think about anything else, I’d go crazy."
"My name is Maykel Osorbo. (...) In religion, you're osogbo for a time, you're screwed, but then you'll become iré, you'll be rewarded. That was lost with me, it doesn't work. My osogbo is literal, forever. It's final," he emphasized.
In mid-January, following an agreement with the Vatican and the United States, Havana promised to release 553 prisoners in exchange for Washington removing it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. At the end of his term, Joe Biden made the anticipated announcement, and the regime began freeing prisoners. However, a week later, newly elected President Donald Trump reinstated Cuba on the list, halting the prisoner release process.
Key Questions About Maykel Osorbo's Perspective and Cuban Prisoner Releases
What message did Maykel Osorbo send to recently released prisoners?
Maykel Osorbo urged the released prisoners to behave well but to remain steadfast in their principles, emphasizing that principles are non-negotiable.
How does Maykel Osorbo view the announcement of prisoner releases in Cuba?
Osorbo maintains a detached and skeptical view of the prisoner releases, focusing instead on his own situation and the year 2030 when his sentence ends.
What significant event affected the Cuban prisoner release process?
The process was affected when President Donald Trump reinstated Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, causing the Cuban regime to halt the releases.