Cuban artists' historic protest opens dialogue with govt

Cuban independent artists and activists reached what y called a "historic" agreement with island's authorities on Friday night, to start a series of meetings to dress ir differences.

agreement was reached a day after authorities cleared more than a dozen artists and activists from a home y have used as a center for anti-government protests that have gained unusually wide attention.

Police and health authorities raided house in Old Havana on Thursday night, removing protesters and taking at least most to ir homes.

group kwn as San Isidro Movement, which periodically sts performance art and music events, has repeatedly criticized Communist government and is demanding release of a musician member recently convicted of insulting a police officer.

On Friday night, a group of activists and artists, among m Cuban actor Jorge Perugorría and film director Fernando Pérez, gared outside Ministry of Culture to urge government to negotiate with m.

Tania Bruguera, Cuban performance artist said ministry will hold talks with groups of artists and government representatives to dress remaining issues.

"We will bring two ndas toger to see if we can reach a consensus between world of independent art in Cuba and world of government institutions in Cuba," she said after talks with officials.

Almost 300 Cuban intellectuals and artists h issued a statement earlier, urging government to eng in dialogue with m.

Oficials said garing on Thursday night violated COVID-19 safety protocols, alleging that one of those inside was a Mexico resident who h recently returned from United States and should have been quarantined. y also said he h given a different dress when arriving in Cuba.

activists called it an attempt to quash a protest, which y said included a hunger strike, that h drawn international attention to debate about freedom of expression in Cuba.

Amnesty International has condemned what it said was harassment and intimidation of protesters supporting Solís, whom organization said was apparently detained v. 9 and sentenced two days later for “contempt ... a crime inconsistent with international human rights law.”

“Authorities can continue to harass, intimidate, detain, and criminalize artists and alternative thinkers, but y can’t keep ir minds in prison,” Amnesty said in a recent statement.

In days before raid, group of artists expressed “growing alarm” at standoff with activists and urged Ministry of Culture to have a dialogue with strikers.