René Pérez, lead singer of the band Calle 13, imprisoned himself in a jail in Puerto Rico, along with his parents and his wife---the Argentinean actress Soledad Fandino. The strange decision is part of a protest over the release of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera who has been kept in a U.S. prison for more than three decades.
"Prisoner with my family," wrote the artist on his Twitter account. Pérez also shared photos where he can be seen with his family in a prison cell. The action of Calle 13's frontman lasted fifteen minutes after which he added, "This fight should last until Oscar's release, because this is everybody's fight".
Before his imprisonment, the singer explained the reasons for this protest:
"My crime is to fight for the independence of Puerto Rico, for all human rights and for the release of Oscar López," he said.
And this is not the first time that René Pérez performed this type of protest. He's known in the music scene for his support for numerous social and political struggles and there is a strong tone of protest contained within most of the lyrics of Calle 13.
Between the important claims of the band, the ones that stand out are the request for free public education in Latin American countries, the struggle of the indigenous people, the crusade against the carrying of weapons and campaigns in support of environmental movements.
The band, led by Pérez and his half brother Eduardo Cabra, is known for its harsh comments about the reality of the Latin American people and their fans are always ready to commit to any cause they drive.
Like Pérez, many entertainment, sports and political personalities have joined this protest and imprisoned themselves as part of a day of solidarity to get the attention of the U.S. government and obtain the release of Oscar López. Among the famous figures that participated were former baseball player Carlos Delgado, former governor of Puerto Rico Anibal Acevedo Vila and the writer Mayra Montero.
Lopez was sentenced to 70 years in prison in 1981 by the U.S. government after being found guilty of seditious conspiracy, illegal possession of weapons and other offenses that linked him to the Puerto Rican independence group Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN).
But many personalities of Puerto Rico and the region believe that the sentence is unjust and exaggerated and have been pleading for his release for several years.