El Sexto With Somos+

El Sexto With Somos+ / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar
Posted on November 6, 2015

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 6 November 2015 — On Thursday a roof
in Havana's Cerro district was a suitable space for a group of young
people to have a meeting with the graffiti artist Danilo Maldonado, El
Sexto (The Sixth). Perhaps because neither the artist nor the members of
the Somos+ Movement (We Are More) are given to extreme formalities, it
is inappropriate to call what took place a tribute. But in fact, it was.

Danilo was given an anthology of messages of support from many parts of
the world, sent during the almost ten months he spent in prison for
attempting to stage a performance that angered the Cuban authorities and
in particular the political police. The displays of affection came into
his hands, the shouts of joy for his release, and the words of
encouragement that filled the social networks during his imprisonment.

The coordinators of the young political movement, which is currently
holding its third and expanded National Council, invited the artist to
relate his experiences in prison. Numerous questions about his artistic
action and about his days of confinement allowed El Sexto to demonstrate
that he is something more than a "smearer of walls," as his detractors
from the official side call him, but rather someone with artistic
sensibility and political will.

Asked about his hunger strike undertaken to secure his release,
Maldonado drew with words the most recent of his artistic strokes, which
today I want to share with you:

"As people we all occupy a physical space and I believe the most
important thing is to make a scratch on this time line in the space we
have occupied. I have always had the conviction that I was doing
something right. I cold die, but I consoled myself knowing that if this
happened I would be remembered, My jailers told they were going to let
me die and I responded to them that my death would be different from
theirs, because my family and friends would remember me."

Source: El Sexto With Somos+ / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar | Translating
Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/el-sexto-with-somos-14ymedio-reinaldo-escobar/