Tony Cortes

Antonio de Jesus Cortez Espina (born in La Havana, Cuba, August 31, 1968) is an actor in theater, film and television producer and host of controversial television shows. He resides in Miami, Florida, United States.

Career
Tony Cortes was born and raised in in the neighborhood El Vedado in Havana. He began working in the entertainment industry at the age of eight, with the filming of the Cuban movie "Los sobrevivientes" (Survivors).

Awards received for the film “Los Sobrevivientes”

 * Third Prize (awarded by the public), Latin American Huelva International Film Festival, Spain.
 * Outstanding Film of the Year in the London International Film Festival, England.
 * Tarja de Oro Gandhi Prize awarded by the International Jury CIDALC INT/CAAL, Festivald'Oro delle Nazioni Laceno of neorealism cinema, Avellino, Italy, 1981.

From that moment on he started doing work in film and television. He studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, he founded his own band "BM Expresso" recorded several CDs and produced for the record label Fania Records with Jerry Masucci and for the record label EGREM.

Tony Cortes appeared in soap operas, serials and other TV shows.

Emmy Awards
Tony Cortes is nominated for two Emmy Awards on television as presenter/host in the categories "Best Historical Cultural Program News" Chapter "Robaina" and "Best News Program in Politics and Government" Chapter "Mariel" of the 2011 Emmy Awards Suncoast Chapter.

Sobre mis pasos
The nominations were a prize to documentary "Sobre mis Pasos", a serial -style reality show for the "Maria Elvira Live" Maria Elvira Salazar- aired in the national channel Mega TV (United States) and in which Tony tells the story of how he is finally allowed to enter Cuba after seven years of absence and not being able to even attend the funeral of his father in December 2009.

Cortes then takes the decision to return to embrace his aged mother, visiting the grave of his father and reconnect with all those things that are foreign: his people, his neighborhood and his friends.

This documentary series of 10 episodes of each lasting 10 minutes,shows the reality of Cuba, the feeling of its people, their daily life and the changes that are currently brewing in the heart of this people.

This show is produced by Burumba Entertainment Productions and Tony Cortes, director of photography Andres Torres, with the editing of George Maisto, Horacio Cambeiro Investigative Journalism Report, the music of singer Ariel Nan, and musical direction by Paul Mendoza.

Personal life
On a recent trip to Cuba, the French and broadcaster licensed Leonila Hernández Sánchez (Nila), wife of actor Tony Cortes, also Cuban American living in Miami, has been accused by the authorities of that country of "illicit economic activity" and "spreading false news," according to a report by activist Ignacio Cepero.

Cortés reported last October 13, 2011 in Radio y Televisión Martí the disappearance of his wife, who was visiting the island from the Tuesday of that week and whose return was scheduled fornext Saturday October 15.

On Friday October 14 the mother of Leonila Hernandez Sanchez confirmed that same publication that his daughter was being held at Villa Marista, the same prison where American Alan Gross was detained.

Villa Marista is a prison in Havana, Cuba, notorious for its detention of political prisoners by the Cuban national security agency.

Its prisoners have included poet Nicolas Guillén, dissident Vladimiro Roca, and politician Jesús Escandell.

Sanchez Hernandez's mother said that the Cuban authorities informed her that her daughter was "under investigation."

In a note published on the website of the independent news agency Hablemos Press, Cepero reported that the file which instructs Hernandez Sanchez Villa Marista as confined for nearly two weeks, is the File Number 53 of 2011, as known.

The activist said that "relatives and friends" of Nila "disagree" with the crimes imputed to the wife of Cortes "for being totally false."

"It is known that the Cuban government arbitrarily keeps this woman in Havana, far from his two children and husband as a way to reduce the work being done by her partner, Tony Cortes, in favor of democracy in Cuba" says Cepero in his publication.

He adds that the Cuban League Against AIDS, which Cepero is executive director of, warns that Nila "only intended to visit family and friends living in Cuba" and does not recognize "any of the crimes for which she is being acused".

Cepero stated in his report that the Cuban League Against AIDS confirmed by telephone with relatives of Leonila Hernandez Sanchez that she is in "a good mood despite the circumstances" that she is being subjected to.