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The U.S. congressman Mario Díaz-Balart assured this Friday that the opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, forced into exile by the Cuban regime, will be received as a hero.
In a message posted on the social media platform X, Díaz-Balart praised the courage of the dissident, who has spent years imprisoned and subjected to torture for demanding freedom in Cuba.
“@jdanielferrer is a hero. After years of imprisonment, beatings, physical and psychological torture, and persecution by the murderous regime in Cuba, simply for demanding freedom, he is being forced into exile. He deserves a hero's welcome, and he will receive it,” wrote the Cuban-American Republican congressman.
“We will continue to provide our unwavering solidarity to him, his family, and the brave Cuban people,” he added.
The congresswoman María Elvira Salazar joined the condemnations against the forced exile of Ferrer. “The Castro regime once again displays its cruelty and cowardice.
After months of inhumane torture, José Daniel Ferrer, an undeniable symbol of resistance, is forced into exile. The free world cannot remain idle in the face of such barbarism, he denounced.
From the Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) revealed in a handwritten letter that he accepted to leave the country to protect his family, a decision he describes as "painful and made under extreme pressure."
In the letter, dated September 10, 2025, and released by his family, Ferrer denounces torture, cruel treatments, and attempts by the regime to discredit his struggle.
"I have been subjected to brutal beatings, torture, humiliation, and death threats", wrote Ferrer, without disclosing the country he will be traveling to. "My family has also been the target of the most ruthless persecution".
He explained that he decided to accept exile before the raid on his home that took place on April 29, when he was once again imprisoned following the revocation of his parole.
Ferrer made it clear that his departure from Cuba does not signify any surrender: “I leave with my dignity and honor held high. I do not abandon the fight. I will return,” he stated, recalling the Cuban independence heroes. “I will continue fighting until I achieve the freedom of Cuba or die trying.”
The U.S. State Department has demanded his immediate release, and Amnesty International recognizes him as a prisoner of conscience. His case has sparked a wave of international solidarity and brings attention back to the political repression that persists on the island.
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