The Cuban writer Daína Chaviano revealed in an interview that a confidential source informed her about the existence of individuals within the Cuban army — even in high military circles — who quietly oppose the regime in Havana.
"I have heard from a source I cannot mention that there are some individuals within the military, even within the higher military echelons, who are not people who have been visible from the political machinery's perspective, who have remained there, and who apparently are against what is happening in Cuba and are staying silent," the author declared in an exclusive interview with CiberCuba journalist Tania Costa.
"Dictatorships should be set on fire like the macaw."
In the same interview, the popular writer stated that she considers it unlikely that change in Cuba can come from within the island, and she referred to a popular saying to illustrate her belief that the regime will not relinquish power of its own accord.
"Dictatorships must be set on fire like the macaw... because if not, they won't leave, they won't leave by themselves," declared the author, who has been in exile in Miami since 1991, in an exclusive interview with CiberCuba.
Chaviano was categorical in dismissing the possibility of change arising from within the island. "I don't believe it can come from inside the island," she emphasized.
The phrase used by the writer refers to provoking a drastic and irreversible action, a great uproar that forces a change that would not happen otherwise.
Although he expressed his wish that the regime would decide to leave, he acknowledged that he doesn't believe it is possible. "I wish they would decide that it's time to go, but I don't think that's going to happen," he said.
On the stage that awaits, Chaviano was straightforward. "I would like it to be something very quick, to eliminate the main culprits of this situation, which is already unsustainable," she argued.
The writer cited the fall of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela on January 3 as a reference. "I wish it were something like Venezuela, which is what we're hoping for," she noted.
Dissent in the military establishment?
Chaviano's statements come amid increasing institutional tension. The National Defense Council approved the transition to a State of War on January 18, 2026, a measure that reflects the regime's level of alarm regarding the internal situation of the country.
From the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), the military leadership has insisted that the words surrender and defeat are completely erased from the institutional vocabulary, in a discourse aimed at sealing any internal rifts.
At the same time, the regime has intensified the militarization of university students, a sign that the authorities are seeking to expand their social control base in the face of an increasingly discontented population.
It is not the first time that dissent within the military ranks has been discussed. Cuban officials in exile have published manifestos urging their former active comrades in the FAR to dismantle the regime, although there have been no visible results so far.
Some analysts and activists have recalled that rebellion is a constitutional right in effect in Cuba, an argument that has been used to legitimize any act of resistance from within the very institutions of the State.
However, the internal control mechanisms make any dissent extremely dangerous. According to former Cuban military officials in exile, the Military Counterintelligence has been the regime's preferred tool to monitor, neutralize, and suppress any dissenting voices within the armed forces.
The economic context further exacerbates the situation. Cuba has experienced a cumulative decline of over 15% since 2020, which has profoundly worsened living conditions for the population and, according to some experts, has also affected morale within the military institutions themselves.
Chaviano, who is preparing to reissue his novel The Man, the Woman, and Hunger in Miami, has consistently maintained a critical stance towards the Cuban regime since his exile, and his comments regarding potential dissenters within the army have sparked extensive debate within the Cuban community.
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