Amid the highest political and energy tension between Havana and Washington in decades, an unusual message has begun to circulate strongly among Cubans both on and off the island. It does not come from a politician or a young activist, but from a man who knows war, prison, and exile: Colonel Johnny López de la Cruz, a former combatant of the Bay of Pigs and a veteran of the United States Army.
In a video released by the independent outlet CubaNet, López de la Cruz speaks directly to the members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and issues a straightforward call: "Be the ones to initiate change or help create the conditions to facilitate or force the exit of the communist structure from power."
Born in Cuba, a member of Brigade 2506 and a political prisoner for two years following the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, the former military officer claims to speak from experience and concern for the social collapse the country is facing. “The reality is that the revolution does not exist. From the beginning it failed and turned into a dictatorship,” he states in the message, where he describes Cuba as “a failed state, without resources,” marked by extreme shortages of food, medicines, daily blackouts, and an accelerated deterioration of basic services.
The tone of the video is harsh, but it also appeals to a human dimension that affects thousands of Cuban families, including those of the military themselves. “You too have suffered from these injustices while your leaders and their families have illegally enriched themselves by sending their children abroad, where they live like millionaires,” says López de la Cruz, while questioning the repression against peaceful protests and the imprisonment of thousands of citizens.
The statement comes in a particularly sensitive context. In recent weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump has drastically hardened his policy toward Cuba, including the signing of an executive order declaring a national emergency and threatening to impose tariffs on countries that supply oil to the Island, one of the last sources of economic lifeline for the regime.
Washington has made it clear that it seeks to suffocate the energy support for the Cuban government, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the collapse of the Venezuelan subsidy.
López de la Cruz directly alludes to that scenario. “The regime is in a very critical and extremely weak situation,” he states, and points out that this moment could mark a historical turning point.
“The change in Cuba is coming and it is unstoppable,” he says, convinced that the Armed Forces play a key role in any eventual transition. “Remember that their loyalty must be to the Cuban nation, not to a criminal and dictatorial misgovernment.”
The former combatant insists that a political change does not have to lead to chaos and suggests the possibility of a negotiated transition towards a democratic system. “No one wants to create that situation, and you have the opportunity to cooperate to achieve a free Cuba,” he emphasizes, before concluding with a phrase laden with symbolism for several generations of Cubans: “Cuba deserves it. You deserve it. The Cuban people deserve it. Long live free Cuba.”
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