Related videos:
The Cuban actor Alberto Pujol launched a harsh attack against the regime in Havana in a post on Facebook, in which he rejected any possibility of dialogue with the ruling elite.
In his message, he described the Cuban government as a "misgovernment" and accused its leaders of being disconnected from the suffering of the people.
"There are no arguments from the Cuban dictatorship's misgovernment that justify anything at all. The indifference of those tyrants is unforgivable," he wrote.
Albertico emphatically defended the dignity and nobility of the Cuban people, but he asserted that the people have grown weary of so much abuse and insults to their dignity.
In his message, he emphasized the gap between the ruling elite and the reality faced by ordinary citizens: "None of the 'leaders' of that monstrosity experience the hardships that the people endure, none."
The most emphatic point of his statement was his outright rejection of any conversation with those currently in power on the Island: "Absolutely nothing can be discussed with the small group in charge of leading that country."
Pujol warned that insisting on dialogue with that leadership is, in his opinion, a "dangerous and absolutely deferring error of their conveniences."
"The nearly century-old term with that group is today an archaism. That is enough now," he concluded.
Negotiation or dialogue?
The actor's statements come at a particularly sensitive time for Cuba and for the United States' policy towards the Island.
In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly stated that his administration is holding discussions with Cuba "at the highest level" and that he believes an agreement is possible.
"Cuba is a failed nation... but now it doesn't have Venezuela to prop it up, so we are talking to the people of Cuba, the most important people in Cuba to see what happens," he said from Mar-a-Lago.
He also expressed his interest in having Cubans living in the U.S. who have been "horribly treated" by the regime be able to reunite with their families.
"We would like them to return home, as they have not seen their family or their country for many decades. We will work to resolve that," he stated.
Trump stated that he seeks an understanding that benefits both the Cubans on the Island and those living in exile, emphasizing that the current situation in Cuba is unsustainable and that his administration "watches closely what is happening inside."
These statements contrast with the position expressed by Albertico Pujol, who believes that decades of discussions have not resulted in real changes and that continuing to bet on dialogue with the ruling elite only prolongs the suffering of the people.
What does Cuba say?
From Havana, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío denied that there is a formal negotiation table with Washington, although he clarified that Cuba is "open to dialogue" under certain terms.
The official clarified that there are issues that are not open to discussion, such as the Constitution and the socialist system.
All this is happening amid an unprecedented energy and economic crisis on the Island, exacerbated by the suspension of Venezuelan oil, the halt of shipments from Mexico, and an executive order from Trump aimed at cutting off crude oil supplies to Cuba through sanctions on third countries.
Power outages and the collapse of basic services have heightened social discontent.
In that context, Albertico Pujol's words reflect a complete break with the idea of negotiating with the current Cuban leadership and voice the sentiments of a sector of the exile community that views any possibility of understanding with the regime as exhausted.
Filed under: