Related videos:
The historic Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer García, considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, stated that the Cuban opposition is facing its biggest internal challenge: the lack of coordination.
“There is no cohesion, coordination, or discipline. We have many fourth batters, but we do not have a team,” he said in reference to the need for a common strategy during an exclusive conversation with Telemundo 51.
Ferrer spoke about the future of the opposition both inside and outside of Cuba, addressed the accusations against him spread by state television, and recounted the tortures and humiliations he claims to have suffered during his years in prison.
"From here I will be more effective than from a prison. This stage is preparatory for a return. I would be there before the final moment of the dictatorship occurs, trying to accelerate it within Cuban territory," he stated.
Convinced that exile can serve as a foundation to reorganize the resistance, the opposition leader stated that if the Cuban opposition were to receive just "50% of the political and economic support that Russia, China, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea provide to the regime," the government of Havana "would have already fallen."
When asked about his political future, he clarified that he will continue to collaborate with multiple opposition platforms.
I belong to everyone and I am a soldier for any group that works seriously, honestly, and intelligently for the freedom of Cuba, he stated.
He confirmed that he will actively participate in the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba, in addition to maintaining links with former members of the Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU).
Cuban official television has attempted to discredit his activism through testimonies from alleged victims who accuse him of assault.
Ferrer rejected the accusations and stated that those who pointed fingers at him were “infiltrators sent by State Security”.
“This is the one who accuses me of kidnapping, torture… when I fired him for threatening a homeless person we were taking care of. It was a show that they set up against me,” he explained.
About the video in which he supposedly hits his head against a table, Ferrer stated that it was manipulated. “I see that it's my image, but I didn't do that. And when they published that, I weighed no more than 75 kilos,” he maintained.
The opponent admitted that he accepted exile for family reasons. “I realized that I had put my family through a sacrifice that I never consulted them about to see if they were willing to endure,” he confessed, moved.
He described his latest arrest as the most difficult of all while recounting episodes of extreme violence and torture within Cuban prisons.
"I was completely neutralized. They hit me, tied me up, and left me in the sun for five hours on top of ants. They dragged me on the ground with gravel. They kicked me in the abdomen and hit me on the head," he recounted.
“They inserted a tube into my mouth and forced me to ingest rotten food under threat. Lying on the floor, they made me defecate and poured nearly a liter of putrid soup into me using a plastic funnel,” he reported.
Ferrer also confirmed the existence of corruption and drug trafficking in the penitentiary facilities in Cuba. “There have been cases of marijuana, chemicals, and cocaine,” he stated.
Despite the years of imprisonment and harassment, the opposition leader stated that their commitment to Cuba remains unshaken. “I will return by sea, with a white rose and a satellite phone so I won't be located,” they expressed.
Filed under: