The rapper is one of the voices of the anthem ‘Patria y Vida’, along with Maykel Castillo ‘Osorbo’, imprisoned on the Island.
14ymedio, Havana, September 18, 2025 — Cuban rapper Eliécer Márquez Duany, known as El Funky, confirmed this Thursday that he has obtained permanent residency in the United States, following an appeals process that reversed an initial denial he received from immigration authorities.
“We’re celebrating our residency after so much effort and hard work; I’m a US resident, super happy with today,” the musician said in a video posted on his social media, in which he appeared alongside his lawyer, Miguel Inda-Romero.
The lawyer explained that the case was complex because El Funky’s file included alleged criminal records in Cuba that prevented him from resolving his immigration status. “They fabricated charges that hindered his residency, but we were able to prove they were fabricated,” he said in an interview with Telemundo 51. “We had to appeal, reopen the case, and request a pardon, which was ultimately approved.”
Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar celebrated the news and stated that her office intervened in the process.
The outcome puts an end to months of uncertainty. In May, the artist himself warned that he had “barely a month” left to resolve his situation and avoid deportation. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had initially rejected his application under the Cuban Adjustment Act, but his defense successfully reopened the case, allowing him to remain legally in the country while his case was reviewed.
Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar celebrated the news and stated that her office was involved in the process.
“Congratulations on obtaining US residency. We knew that if El Funky was deported to Cuba, he would end up like the other two who wrote Patria y Vida with him,” she said, referring to rapper Maykel Osorbo and artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who did not participate in the song’s creation but was part of the same group.
Exiled in the United States since 2021, El Funky is one of the voices behind the song Patria y Vida — Homeland and Life — which became an anthem of the 11 July Island-wide protests of that year and won two Latin Grammys. Since then, the rapper has repeatedly denounced the repression against artists and opponents in Cuba.
“Thanks to God and to all those who contributed their part,” the musician concluded his message, assuring us that he will remain committed to the cause of Cuban freedom.
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