Alexander Otaola

Otaola has organized boycotts on Cuban artists such as Haila Mompié, Jacob Forever, El Micha, and Gente de Zona which has resulted in their shows being canceled in Miami. As a result of his social media activism, Haila Mompié was declared persona non grata in the city of Miami by the mayor Francis X. Suarez. In 2019, Otaola criticized the daughter of Raul Castro, Mariela Castro, for canceling the annual gay pride parade in Cuba and failing to protect gay rights activists from violence by Cuban security forces. On social media, Otaola has attempted to uncover Ciberclarias, which he claims are false profiles that spread propaganda for the Cuban government. On February 29, 2020, Otaola organized a Caravan in Calle Ocho, Miami, for the liberation of Cuba, the release of political prisoners in Cuba, and to support the Trump administration's policies on Cuba. According to the Miami Herald, the caravan consisted in as many as 2,000 cars. Following the car caravan to condemn the Cuban regieme, Otaola congregated a second caravan to support Law and Order and peace.

On January 10, 2020, Julio Martínez Molina published an article in the Cienfuegos newspaper, 5 de Septiembre, which alleged that Alexander Otaola is accused of sexual abuse of a minor in Cuba. Otaola denies the allegation and has consulted with his legal team to request the retraction of that statement by the newspaper.

During an interview Chocolate MC walked out of the Hola Ota-Ola show. Since their initial meeting, Otaola and Chocolate MC have reconciled. Chocolate MC attended the Caravan in 2020.

On his show, Otaola has demanded the release of political prisoner and human rights activist José Daniel Ferrer and founder of the human rights group the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). In 2019, he called for a proof of life for José Daniel Ferrer. Otaola vigorously defended the human rights activist from allegations by a Cuban television station that Ferrer bashed his head against a desk in prison, he claimed the video was manipulated. Upon Ferrer's release to house arrest in 2020, Ferrer was interviewed on Hola Ota-Ola! and expressed gratitude toward the program for raising awareness to secure his release.

In 2019, Otoala sued Descemer Bueno for defamation and it has resulted in an ongoing court battle.

In May 2018, Otaola filed a police report which alleges that Roberto F. Hidalgo Puentes, half of the Cuban duo Yomil y Dany, assaulted him inside a store in Miami. In a statement to Martí Noticias, Otaola said this is not the first time he has been threatened by Hidalgo, and he alleges Hidalgo threatened to kill him during an event in Punta Cana. Hidalgo returned to Cuba after the incident. In 2018 according to Daniel Benítez of América TeVé, a Miami Dade judge signed an arrest warrant for Mr. Hidalgo.

On December 3, 2003, Alexander emigrated to the United States from Cuba on a Visa. He settled in Miami where he worked as a waiter, cashier at Walmart, baker, and a manager in a housekeeping business. In 2008, he returned to television and worked in telenovelas and comedy shows. He portrayed the character Carlos Recto in the MEGATV show Esta Noche Tu Night hosted by Alexis Valdés, and also participated in a Venevision talk show called ¿Quién Tiene la Razón?. Later in 2015, he was suspended by the television network Mega TV for using an obscene word during an interview. In 2017, he started webcasting his show Hola Ota-Ola! which has a large audience in Cuba and the United States.

Alexander Otaola Casal was born in Camagüey, Cuba on April 28, 1979. For secondary school, he studied at a special athletic school in Cuba known as ESPA where he trained in water polo, horse riding, chess and ended up in gymnastics and musical aerobics. In an interview with CiberCuba, Otaola said he was born in a society with a culture often favoring a strong sense of masculinity ("machismo") and experienced bullying and homophobia in Cuba.