"Patria y Vida" Race, Class, & Artists' Protests in Cuba

Date: 

Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 6:00pm to 8:00pm

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 6:00pm (Eastern), the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida will host a livecast panel discussion, "Patria y Vida" Race, Class, & Artists' Protests in Cuba.  The panel which features AAAS Professor Alejandro de la Fuente, discusses the February 2021 YouTube launching of the song "Patria y Vida [Fatherland and Life]" which was collectively composed by famous Cuban rap and hip hop stars.  The title and lyrics rebuked their government's six-decade reliance on the slogan "Patria o Muerte [Fatherland or Death]" that justified Communist Party controls as a defense against US aggression. In a month, the video achieved over five million views and the unilateral condemnation of Cuban officials and media who called it "annexationist vomit."  Yet the song's popularity reflected years of growing outrage among Cuba's poorest, often largely Black communities. In addition to Professor de la Fuente, the panel will include Lillian Guerra and Tanya Saunders, who will analyze the origins and meaning of the outrage over the video as well as the state's rising repression of Black- and artist-led protests today.  The livecast panel disdcussion can be viewed at UF's YouTube Page.