The grey years were a loosely defined period in Cuban history, generally agreed to have started with the Padilla affair in 1971.[1] It is often associated with the tenure of Luis Pavón Tamayo (de) as the head of Cuba's National Cultural Council ("Consejo Nacional de Cuba", or CNC) from 1971 to 1976.[2] The period is also sometimes called the quinquenio gris ("five grey years"),[3] the trinquenio amargo ("bitter fifteen years"),[4] or the decada negra ("the black decade").[5]
The grey years were generally defined by cultural censorship,[6] harassment of intellectuals and artists,[2] and the ostracization of members of the LGBT+ community.[7] Greater monetary influence from the Soviet Union during this time period pressured Cuba into adopting a model of cultural repression that was reflected in Cuba's domestic policy throughout the 1970s.[2]