Gorki Águila

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Gorki Águila (born circa 1969) is a Cuban punk rock musician and dissident. He is the leader of the Porno para Ricardo band.

Águila lives with his father in a small apartment in Marianao, where he also has been recording his songs with the band since they were forbidden to have concerts. His mother and sister live in Mexico. Águila has a 11-year old daughter, Gabriela.^[1]

Initially, his band was well-received by the Cuban authorities, being even featured on television, but as his lyrics became bolder, he was banned from performing in public and the songs being put on the internet with help of a friend from abroad.^[2]

In 2003, Águila was jailed on drug charges after a policewoman posed as a fan and baited him into giving her amphetamines. He argues this was entrapment and an attempt to silence him. After serving his jail time, Aguila became an even more outspoken critic of the Cuban government, his lyrics growing more political. In an interview with CNN in 2007, Aguila said that "Communism is a failure. A total failure. Please. Leftists of the world -- improve your capitalism."^[2] In an interview with exiled Cuban anarchists PPR described anarchism as being "very seductive." (See:http://www.anarkismo.net/article/9183).

In August 2008, Águila was arrested by the Cuban police with the charge of "dangerousness", which allows them to detain people whom they think they are likely to commit crimes. The charge carries a penalty of one up to four years in prison. Signs of a "dangerousness state" are habitual drunkness and anti-social behaviour.^[3]

He was eventually ordered to pay a $30 fine for the lesser offence of public disorder, after prosecutors dropped the more serious charge.^[4]

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