Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer warned about what he sees as a strategy by the regime to buy time and reduce internal and external pressure, amidst a scenario marked by protests, economic crisis, and increasing repression on the Island.
In a post on his social media, Ferrer stated: “The tyranny is trying to buy time, deceive and manipulate exiled Cubans and the world with invitations to invest in Cuba. We cannot fall into their trap. We must oust them from power. Now or never.”
His message comes after the Cuban government announced a potential opening to allow emigrants to invest and have businesses in the country, including larger scale investments in sectors such as infrastructure, in an attempt to attract capital amid the severe economic crisis the Island is experiencing, as authorities of the regime themselves have acknowledged.
Ferrer accompanied his post with a video in which he describes an increase in social discontent and citizen mobilization.
"The people of Cuba are rising every day with more energy, more courage, more valor, and more determination in the struggle against tyranny, in the fight for freedom, in the battle against hunger, misery, power outages, the health crisis, unsanitary conditions, the transportation crisis, and the housing crisis," he said.
The opposition linked this situation to a buildup of crises that are affecting the daily lives of Cubans and have led to recent protests in various parts of the country.
Among the most visible events are the demonstrations in Morón, in the province of Ciego de Ávila, where citizens took to the streets amidst blackouts and shortages, in one of the most recent expressions of popular discontent, as evidenced during the protests that occurred on March 13.
According to Ferrer, the regime's response has been to intensify repression and prepare exemplary punishments for the demonstrators.
"I have just been told that they are planning to hold an exemplary summary trial for those who protested, for those who were captured, detained, or arrested during the protests in Morón on the 13th," he stated.
It also reported on the situation of the opposition figure Roylan Álvarez Renzoler, stating, “he has been on a hunger strike for forty-six days.”
In parallel, several cities in the eastern part of the country have reported an increase in police deployment, the presence of forces from the Ministry of the Interior, and arrests of young people linked to protests, against a backdrop of growing social tension, with reports of recent repressive operations.
Ferrer insisted that, as public pressure increases, the regime would be trying to project signals of openness as part of a strategy to maintain its grip on power.
"The regime is putting into practice its deceptive tricks, its scams to see if they can gain time, to relieve the pressure from the people and from the United States," he stated.
In that regard, he questioned recent measures such as possible partial releases of prisoners and the economic rapprochement with the diaspora.
"This calling for exiled Cubans to invest in Cuba is a scam, a deception; this is just to buy time," he stated.
The leader of UNPACU also called for increasing pressure on the Cuban government, both inside and outside the country.
"Neither the Cuban people nor the United States can give tyranny a break; it cannot be allowed to breathe," he stated.
In his message, he urged the Cuban exile community to achieve a higher level of organization and to provide direct support to those protesting on the Island.
"We need to provide financial support to those who are going out to protest, to their families, and to the children they leave behind when they are detained," he stated.
In addition, he defended the need to move to a more active phase in the opposition to the regime: “we must transition to a bolder, more dynamic, stronger, and more compelling offensive.”
Ferrer’s statements come at a time of significant political uncertainty, also marked by contacts between the Cuban government and the United States, as well as the ongoing deterioration of living conditions on the Island, in a context where the opposition leader has insisted that the system is facing a critical moment.
In recent days, the opposition leader has reiterated that any negotiation or economic opening process that does not involve profound political changes could end up benefiting the regime without resolving the country's structural crisis, as he also stated in his message directed at President Donald Trump.
In the meantime, protests, noise demonstrations, and marches continue to be reported in various locations, driven by power outages, food shortages, and the general decline of basic services, in a context where the state's response has been to increase surveillance and repression.
In that scenario, Ferrer insists that the outcome will depend on the sustained pressure within Cuba and the support from the exile community for those who confront the regime in the streets.
Filed under: