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The Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García responded on Facebook to those who attack him and took the opportunity to send a message to his critics. From Miami, he expressed understanding for the aggression from the "agents of the tyranny," but regretted that it also comes from people who, like him, claim to fight for a free Cuba.
"That an agent of the tyranny slanders and defames me, I understand; they are paid to do so and live under pressure, fear, and blackmail. But that someone who wants, like me and many others, the freedom of Cuba and the end of tyranny—essentially the same thing—slanders and defames me, I cannot understand," he wrote.
In his message, Ferrer recalled the more than 12 years of imprisonment he has endured in "terrible conditions" and the beatings, torture, and humiliations suffered throughout his opposition journey. "I am just a humble farmer from Palmarito de Cauto, who has spent more than 12 years in prison amid terrible conditions (...). I believe that instead of attacking me without reason, more than they fight against the tyranny, if the issue is envy, they should do in Cuba what I humbly did for 30 years, and it will turn out better," he stated.
Ferrer also stated that the attacks against him do not cause him personal harm, but rather affect all Cubans who are fighting for change. “On the path they are taking, they do not harm me; they harm themselves. Here and there, I will always be, alongside many good Cubans, at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and the well-being of Cuba,” he concluded.
A leadership that endures from exile
Since his arrival in the United States, Ferrer has reaffirmed his commitment to peaceful resistance against the Cuban regime and has launched a network of economic support aimed at the families of political prisoners, in collaboration with other exiles. In a recent initiative, he announced from Miami the sending of financial aid and emphasized that “political prisoners need political, spiritual, and economic support and accompaniment.”
In his most recent statements, Ferrer has emphasized that Raúl Castro continues to wield real power through the military and economic structures of GAESA, while Miguel Díaz-Canel is merely “the face of the collapse of Castroism.” In earlier remarks, he asserted that “the Castros have led him into this big mess” referring to the Cuban leader.
The opposition figure argues that his exile does not signify the end of his activism, but rather a new phase of struggle from outside the island. In previous interviews, he has advocated for non-violent and clandestine struggle as the most effective way to bring about the collapse of the Cuban communist system. “With the unification of so many actions carried out en masse throughout Cuba, we can create the mood, the public sentiment that will topple the dictatorship,” he stated.
Ferrer, a symbol of Cuban civic resistance, insists that his commitment remains unwavering despite years of imprisonment, torture, and exile. His most recent message again reflects this conviction: there is no room for discouragement as long as Cuba is not free.
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