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A new citizen campaign under the slogan “They should leave!” has been launched with the goal of promoting a democratic transition in Cuba and demanding the ousting of the regime that has ruled the Island for over six decades.
The initiative, titled “They Should Leave! For a free and prosperous Cuba”, calls on Cubans both inside and outside the country to sign an online petition hosted on Action Network and to join a digital mobilization on social media.
In the manifesto, its promoters state that “the agony of the Cuban people, in the face of the profound crisis tearing the nation apart, compels us —as children of Cuba both inside and outside the country— to urgently demand the end of the dictatorship.”
Transition proposal
The document states that the resolution to the crisis lies in "a transition to a multiparty democracy" that allows for "the restoration of fundamental rights, the reconstruction of a just, prosperous, and sovereign Republic, and the opening of a dignified future for all Cubans."
The proposed measures include the release of political prisoners, the restoration of fundamental freedoms, addressing the humanitarian emergency, the restoration of essential services, and the holding of free elections within reasonable timeframes.
The text also calls to “dismantle the companies and the repressive and political organs of the dictatorship,” preserve official archives, and channel international aid through independent means. It also urges the international community not to grant credits to the current government and to sanction its leaders if they refuse to facilitate a democratic transition.
The campaign includes among its initial signatories the artist and political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and the opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García, the general coordinator of UNPACU.
Impulse and mobilization on networks
The journalist Mario J. Pentón shared the initiative on his Facebook profile, where he explained that the campaign aims to channel public discontent into concrete action and encouraged people to sign and share the message, as seen in his post.
Previously, the official page of the movement had reiterated the call for unity both inside and outside the Island and encouraged Cubans to record short videos with the slogan "Let them go."
In another message shared on social media, activist Willian Ricardo Expósito called for unity and stated that “what hurts the dictatorship the most is that the people are united,” urging everyone to sign the petition and expand its reach, as he expressed in a video shared on Facebook.
The slogan "Let them go" is not new in the Cuban debate. The phrase has been used for years in exile and in protests against the regime, and it has also been present in the music scene, as in the eponymous song ("Let them go now") performed by Willy Chirino along with Srta Dayana, Lenier, Micha, Chacal, and Osmani García.
Recently, it gained visibility in the music scene when reggaeton artist Oniel Bebeshito posted a video on Instagram featuring that expression alongside the Cuban flag, a gesture that sparked various interpretations amid the current national context, characterized by prolonged blackouts, shortages, and increasing social unrest.
Although the artist did not make an explicit political statement, the excerpt of the interpreted song, along with the post, was perceived by numerous followers as a reference to the current situation in the country.
The manifesto for the new call in support of "a free and prosperous Cuba" concludes with a direct appeal: "Every signature matters. Every voice counts." Its promoters stress that citizen unity is key to initiating a process of structural change in Cuba.
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