The former political prisoner, José Daniel Ferrer, ventured to mention a couple of names when questioned in a recent interview about who might be the possible "Delcy Rodríguez" in Cuba, meaning the key figure in the event of a political transition.
During his participation in the Telemundo 51 program "Encuentro Virtual" -with journalist Gloria Ordaz- the founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) mentioned a couple of names, the second being quite surprising and little known in the Cuban political sphere.
Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, the first on the list
The first name mentioned by Ferrer was that of Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, the current Vice Prime Minister of Cuba and the great-nephew of Fidel and Raúl Castro, a relationship that does not go unnoticed when assessing the real distribution of power on the island.
According to the opposition member, Pérez-Oliva Fraga “could be gaining significance within the power structure of the Cuban regime”, a claim supported by the sustained rise of the official within the government leadership in recent months.
Currently, he holds key positions in the areas of trade and investment, positioning him as a significant figure for sectors interested in a potential controlled transition.
Although little known outside of official circles, his last name and strategic position in critical economic spheres make him, for some analysts, a potential intermediary between traditional power and the survival interests of the regime under international pressure.
Ana María Mari Machado: At the center of rumors
However, Ferrer did not confine himself to a single name.
In his speech, he pointed out that in recent days an important announcement from the authorities may have been in the works, and in that context "there is talk of Ana María Mari Machado," current vice president of the National Assembly of People's Power and also of the Council of State.
Ferrer described her as a "second-rate character."
Who is Ana María Mari Machado?
Born on May 22, 1963, in Calabazar de Sagua, Encrucijada, then part of Las Villas province, Ana María Mari Machado is a lawyer by training and a specialist in Criminal Law.
Her institutional career began in the judicial field, where she worked as a legal advisor, judge, and president of the Municipal People's Tribunal of Encrucijada. She later served as the president of the Provincial People's Tribunal of Villa Clara.
Her rise continued within the judicial system until she became the Vice President of the People's Supreme Court, a position from which she transitioned into the political arena.
She has been delegated to the Provincial Assembly of People's Power, president of the National Electoral Commission (2010), and deputy for the municipality of Quemado de Güines, Villa Clara.
Since 2012, she has held the position of Vice President of the National Assembly of People's Power, having been re-elected successively in 2018, 2019, and 2023, and is also a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Her role within the formal structures of the State makes her a figure of institutional continuity, although she lacks consolidated popular leadership and international visibility.
A debate with profound implications
Ferrer’s assertions not only open the debate on specific names but also on the internal dynamics of Cuban power and its potential reconfiguration in response to external pressures.
The opposition leader, with years of experience both inside and outside the regime's prisons, does not propose a democratic succession, but rather a possible maneuver to retain power in new forms, as has already happened in Venezuela.
The reference to Delcy Rodríguez is, in itself, a warning: figures who have been complicit or instrumental in the authoritarian regime can be recycled as supposed guarantors of transition or stability, without any structural change occurring.
Ferrer did not overlook one of the key aspects of the Cuban system: “In Cuba, there are no democratic mechanisms for the election of leaders as in other countries.”
Therefore, it is crucial—both in their words and in the subsequent analysis—to observe who is closest to power, who occupies strategic positions, and which names could be proposed in the event of a potential reconfiguration of leadership.
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