Gorki Águila

Who is Gorki Águila?

Gorki Águila is a Cuban punk rock musician and dissident, who has publicly criticized communism. 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.

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.

In 2003, Águila was jailed on drug charges after a policewoman posed as a fan and asked him for amphetamines, after which he gave her two pills. He argues this was entrapment and an attempt to silence him. After serving 4 and a half year in Cuba's 5½ Kilo Prison, 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." In an interview with exiled Cuban anarchists PPR described anarchism as being "very seductive."