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Prominent Cuban dissident to go into exile in the US

(CNN) — A prominent Cuban dissident will go into exile in the US on Saturday after completing a five-year prison sentence in the communist-run Caribbean nation, according to his supporters and a US embassy official.

Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has been granted immigration parole in the US, a Facebook page maintained by family and supporters said Friday.

“Since early 2023, Luis has accepted exile as the only way to continue his work as an artist and activist, following the relentless repression he has endured,” his supporters said on Facebook.

“State Security left him no other option for release from prison.”

He will be released by the Cuban government and travel to the US tomorrow with his family, a US embassy official told CNN. The official added that the embassy had been pushing for his release.

CNN has reached out to the US State Department for more information.

The Cuban government has not yet commented on his expected release.

Otero Alcántara has been the highest profile dissident jailed in Cuba since the July 11, 2021, protests over Cuba’s lack of freedoms and worsening economy.

Before his arrest in 2021, Otero Alcántara and other members of his San Isidro Movement used social media to document their campaign against official censorship and the Cuban police and security officials that often shadowed their every move.

His protests and hunger strikes were a source of frustration to officials and led to multiple detentions.

In addition to being a critic of the Cuban government, Otero Alcántara is an internationally acclaimed artist. He shared a Grammy win for the song “Patria y Vida” (“Homeland and Life”) that blasted the Cuban government’s failures and repression.

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Voter data Trump claimed China obtained is easy to obtain in most states

▶ Watch Video: Most Americans don't think there's widespread voter fraud, CBS News poll shows President Trump made the alarming claim Thursday that China conducted what may be "the largest compromise of election data in history" with its "illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files." But voter data is accessible across all 50 states.Accessing voter rolls in all 50 statesTwenty states and Washington, D.C., will provide voter data with a simple public request, purchase or online download.Fifteen states allow access to voter rolls, but users must state a political or research purpose, have state residency, be a registered voter in the state, or sign a use agreement.Ten states primarily provide records through local election offices or supervised inspection, rather than an open statewide file.Five states limit voter-file access to specified groups, such as candidates, political parties, committees, news organizations or government officials.Voter data that is released to the public often includes registered voters' names, mailing addresses, phone numbers and political parties. Some more sensitive information is typically left confidential, including Social Security numbers.In his speech, the president said that China has the "names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences and other sensitive data that would be needed to register to vote and engage in other nefarious activities," which is not entirely true. Yes, they may have that data — however, that information alone is not enough to alter or create voter registrations.Nearly all states exclude sensitive identifiers, and most prohibit commercial use or resale. David Becker, executive director for the Center for Election Innovation and Research and CBS News election law contributor, says that there is no evidence the Chinese could create a match between voter roll information and Department of Motor Vehicles or Social Security numbers, which is what would be necessary to create a false voter registration or alter an existing voter registration. He pointed out that this is part of the 2002 Help America Vote Act, which states that Americans must have a current and valid driver's license or provide Social Security information to register to vote.We still don't know whether all the information accessed by Chinese actors came from public records, commercial databases, stolen private data or actual computer intrusions. But members of the public can legally obtain much of the same category of voter information in many states — without hacking into anything at all.Here's how to obtain voter registration files in the 50 states.
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