[5][6][7] In 2017, Otero Alcántara was arrested for "being in illicit possession of construction materials" in relation to his work as a cofounder of the #00 bienal de la Habana, an alternative event to the official Havana Biennial.

[21] In May 2021, State security agents dressed as civilians broke into Otero Alcántara's house and forcibly detained him and the poet Afrika Reina.

[24][25] A few days later a group of prominent international cultural figures, including Junot Díaz, Edwidge Danticat, Julie Mehretu, John Akomfrah, and Carrie Mae Weems, issued a public letter to the Cuban president requesting Alcántara's release.

[26] On May 31, 2021, the San Isidro Movement confirmed that Otero Alcántara had been released from custody, after being detained in a hospital for over four weeks.

[28] In June of 2022, Otero Alcántara was sentenced to 5 years of incarceration to be served at a Maximum Security Prison in Guanajay, located in the province of Artemisa, Cuba.

[30] In 2022, Otero Alcántara was one of six recipients of the 2022 Claus Impact Award for his performances that addresses the critical conditions that Cuban citizens are facing.