Hours after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela by U.S. forces, a group of Cuban activists and opposition leaders released a video calling for national mobilization and a democratic transition in Cuba, asserting that "the hour of Cuba has arrived".
The video, spread on social media under the slogan “Cubans, we have a plan and we are ready for change,” gathered exiled figures and dissidents, who stated that the transformation process begun in Venezuela marks the start of a new era for the hemisphere.
The activist and opponent Rosa María Payá, promoter of the platform Cuba Decide, Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, spokesperson for the Cuban Democratic Directorate and member of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, the union leader Iván Hernández Carrillo, the influencer Alexander Otaola, and Ramón Saúl Sánchez, leader of the Democracy Movement, joined their voices with those of other activists and members of Cuban civil society to send the message.
“Venezuela is experiencing its time of change, and we hope it will culminate in democracy and freedom,” stated the joint declaration. “Just as the Venezuelan people chose Edmundo González as president and María Corina Machado as vice president, we Cubans are ready to reclaim our sovereignty,” the manifesto added.
In the message, the activists emphasized that the path to democracy in Cuba is "irreversible," and they highlighted that the opposition both inside and outside the island has a plan for political transition and national reconstruction, based on social justice, human rights, and respect for sovereignty.
"The night will not be eternal", proclaimed the message text, which concluded with a direct call to Cubans of all generations, "inside and outside the country," to unite for change. "Young and old, the time for Cuba has come. We are ready for change and transition," stated one of the participants.
The activists also appealed to the international community: “We call on the world's governments and democracies to act in support of our just right to live in freedom,” requested one of the spokespersons.
The video, widely shared among Cuban users on social media and exile communities, aligns with a wave of regional expectations following the U.S. intervention in Venezuela. Many internet users see Maduro's capture as a sign of the end of an era for authoritarianism in Latin America.
“You cannot clean the living room and leave the kitchen dirty”, concluded one of the messages, alluding to the fact that the fall of chavismo will not be complete as long as the Cuban regime remains in power.
“Cuba will be free. We have a plan, and we are ready for change”, the activists proclaimed in unison, setting the tone for a new civic offensive for the freedom of the island.
Filed under:
