A Cuban father denounced the actor Renny Arozarena on his social networks for abusing his teenage daughter during a theater workshop in Havana.
Pablo Delgado said his daughter Paola signed up for the KINESCOPIO workshop led by Arozarena, known in Cuba for playing the character of Benny Moré in the film directed by Jorge Luis Sánchez that chronicles the life of the famous singer and recreates the island’s composers.
“She was full of illusions because she wanted to perform and sing like the great Elena Burke. They started with rehearsals and tests. She was immediately approved as Elena. They asked her for 500 pesos for the workshop,” she explained.
“A workshop for profit because they even sell snacks to the boys. This workshop that was supposed to be lessons, lessons they’ve never seen.”
“This 51-year-old actor who works with teenage minors. He personally came to a department in a secluded place in Vedado, a restaurant where artists serve customers, and began to touch my little daughter to show her how to breathe singing, among other things, and he pounced on him and gave him a kiss,” he denounced.
Delgado explained that after what happened, Paola ran out of the house and, crying, called her brother so they would quickly look for her, who was at the book fair with the girl’s boyfriend.
“My daughter was uncontrollable, she doesn’t want to talk to anyone, traumatized, she’s lost faith and trust and I’m wondering what should I do?” asked the father.
“I go and smack this offender on the head? I blame him so he comes out sinless, amen with a sad fine? And my daughter? My daughter’s dreams? Her innocence and confidence thrown to the ground…” he added.
“Paola has 4 brothers and a reserve colonel father who defended this country by shooting and who is capable of anything for his daughter,” concluded Delgado.
Dozens of Cubans have responded to Pablo Delgado’s complaint. Journalist and feminist activist Marta María Ramírez called for a comprehensive law that protects women. “How long will this take? What else needs to happen for these men to stop abusing our daughters?” she said.
“The only thing that calms me is that people have learned to denounce!” wrote writer Katherine Bisquet.
In addition to his role in the film “El Benny”, which made him famous in 2006, Arozarena starred in the film “Kangamba” directed by Rogelio Paris and in the television series “Tras la Huella”, in which he played an officer of the Ministry of the Interior, among other rooms in cinema and television on the island.
In an interview with the ruling party Juventud Rebelde at the end of 2019, Arozarena denounced that black actors were disadvantaged in Cuba.
“There are many talented actors waiting for their chance. And in the case of black people, there’s a subtle disadvantage, which is ultimately discrimination in a country that started a fight against racism 60 years ago,” he said.
“In general, the main characters in Cuban films, soap operas and series tend to be white. It’s shameful in a multiracial country,” he added.
In recent years, complaints have come to light about women being abused by figures in Cuban culture.
The first case was Dianelys Alfonso, known as the Goddesswho in 2019 reported the musician José Luis Cortés, El Tosco, for verbal, physical and sexual abuse when he was a singer in his orchestra NG La Banda.
Her statement motivated the so-called Cuban MeToo and the creation of feminist platforms to support victims.
At the end of last year, five women reported abuse to the troubadour Fernando Bécquer, who were joined by another 16 women, victims of the musician.
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