Cubans missed the fall of the Berlin Wall; we cannot miss this moment

The Cubans watched on television —those who could, amidst blackouts, shortages, and firmly controlled programming— the fall of the Berlin Wall. We saw how Eastern Europe left communism behind and began an imperfect, challenging path toward freedom. We did not have that moment. It was stolen from us.

But the story doesn’t stop. And today, February 13, 2026, Cuba is experiencing a crisis that can no longer be downplayed or met with empty rhetoric. The country is worn out. Blackouts are not an exception: they are part of the routine. Scarcity is not temporary: it is structural. Fear is not a coincidence: it is state policy.

The regime tries to sell resilience while the people survive. It attempts to blame external factors while the thermoelectric plants collapse, hospitals deteriorate, and thousands of young people continue to see the airport as their only escape. But the truth is evident: the model has failed. And they know it.

Every pot-banging, every peaceful protest in a dark neighborhood, every complaint on social media demonstrates something fundamental: the fear is no longer the same. People are tired. And when a people lose their fear, totalitarian systems begin to crumble.

This is not just a moment of crisis. It is a moment of historic definition.

Castrismo, as a political project, is in its final stage. Not because they acknowledge it, but because they can no longer offer prosperity, stability, or hope. They can only provide control. And no system can sustain itself forever solely through repression.

Unit for Change

That's why today, more than ever, we need unity.

Unity among those who are inside and those who are outside. Unity among generations. Unity among those who think differently but agree on something essential: Cuba cannot continue to be a nation held hostage by an elite that does not hold itself accountable.

To the Cubans on the Island: you are not alone. Every civic gesture matters. Every act of dignity builds a future.

To the diaspora: it is time for coordination, strategy, and concrete support for civil society. The reconstruction of Cuba will begin the day the system falls, but it must be planned from now on.

To the international community: it is not a time for half-measures. Cuba needs firm pressure, genuine support, and backing for a democratic transition that ensures free elections, the release of political prisoners, and respect for human rights.

We cannot afford to lose another second. Every day under this system is a day stolen from our children's future.

We got lost in Berlin. We can't miss this moment.

Change in Cuba is not a utopia. It is a historical necessity.

And history, when it arrives, does not wait.