HAVANA (AP) — The powerful Federation of Cuban Women, an organization linked to the government, and the state Cuban Institute of Music on Tuesday rejected the comments of a musician recognized for his pro-government militancy who posted song lyrics on his social media sexist content.
The troubadour Fernando Becquer, who was sentenced at the end of 2022 to a five-year sentence of limitation of liberty for sexual crimes, released two of his songs on Facebook entitled “Guaracha Feminista” and “Anti Metoo o Menéate con el Negrón” the day before. ” in a clear allusion to the women who denounced him for the abuses committed between 1999 and 2021.
In his song “Anti Metoo”, Becquer talks about “sad vaginas” and suggests that women give “waist” (shake their hips), while in the other composition he assures that he wants “a feminist to (to) warm her track”.
After the criticism, Becquer removed the Facebook posts and instead posted a message of apologies to the FMC, while describing himself as “a troubadour of homeland or death” in reference to the slogan used by supporters of the Cuban revolution.
“Actions and publications like these are intolerable and must be denounced and punished for constituting hate messages,” the FMC said in a statement. “Bécquer insists on using the networks to indirectly violate, harass, diminish his victims” and “far from showing respect and repentance before justice, he acts with total impunity.”
Meanwhile, the Cuban Institute of Music expressed its “absolute rejection of the disrespectful and irresponsible attitude” of the musician.
In 2022, Cuba approved two important laws with a gender focus: the Family Code and the Penal Code, which accentuate the sentences for cases of gender violence but do not include the figure of femicide.
The activists demand a comprehensive law that includes everything from prevention to care for victims, for example, through the creation of shelters.
Although there are no official figures, the Internet platform YoSiTeCreo reported the day before that in 2022 there were 34 femicides and seven attempts.
Many activists closely followed the court case against Becquer, which gained importance due to its public connotation. After the ruling was made public in October 2022, they regretted that despite having been found guilty of sexual abuse in half a dozen cases -another group of women reported related facts but filed a legal complaint- an effective prison measure was not imposed on him, but instead limited freedom.