The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance accused the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel this Friday of trying to “buy time” after acknowledging conversations with the United States, and called for increased international pressure until a political change is achieved on the island.
The coordinator of the organization, Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, stated in a press conference in Miami that the Cuban regime is trying to leverage these contacts to relieve international pressure without implementing any real political changes.
In Gutiérrez's opinion, the president's words made it clear that Havana would be willing to seek areas of cooperation with Washington, but without altering the current political model.
The activist interpreted the leader's message as a sign that the Cuban system acknowledges the severity of the crisis the country is facing, but has no intention of moving toward political openness.
The official discourse aims to "buy time," while the regime faces an internal situation marked by social discontent and economic crisis, he emphasized.
Gutiérrez also questioned the government's announcement regarding the release of 51 individuals. He pointed out that the Cuban regime does not acknowledge the existence of political prisoners and that it is still unclear how many of those released would actually be considered as such.
Nevertheless, he stated that any release is positive, although he emphasized the need to verify the specific cases.
The exile organization also stated that the government's call to facilitate the participation of Cubans living abroad in the national economy aims to attract resources without changing the political conditions that led to the exile.
Gutiérrez emphasized that the Cuban diaspora should not provide economic support to the system while the current power model remains in place on the island.
In his speech, the leader emphasized that the only way to achieve real change in Cuba is through profound political transformations, including the legalization of independent civil society, an end to repression, and the holding of multiparty elections.
During the conference, political prisoner Luis Zúñiga, who spent 19 years in Cuban prisons, young activist Keiler Cabrera, and representatives from exile organizations such as the Federation of Cuban Exiled Masons and the Revolutionary Recovery Movement also participated.
Participants agreed that the current moment is characterized by a deep crisis within the island and by increasing external pressures on the Cuban regime.
In that context, they advocated for the necessity of maintaining and intensifying international sanctions until a political change occurs in the country.
The conference was held just a few hours after Díaz-Canel's appearance before the state press, in which the leader acknowledged for the first time that Cuban officials have held conversations with U.S. representatives to explore solutions to bilateral differences.
The recognition came after weeks of public denials by Cuban authorities.
In parallel, Republican Congressman from Florida Carlos A. Giménez stated that there will be no U.S. investment in Cuba as long as there are no political changes on the island.
In a message posted on the social network X, the lawmaker stated that "there will be no investment from the United States in Cuba unless there are significant political changes" and maintained that the Cuban regime relies on Washington, but not vice versa.
The congressman, aligned with the policy toward Havana promoted by President Donald Trump, has advocated for a strategy of political and economic pressure against the Cuban government.
According to his statements, that policy would be weakening the regime, which he recently described as "weaker than ever," while asserting that international pressure is pushing Cuban authorities towards a situation of increasing fragility.
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