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 at high military levels — who silently oppose the regime in Havana.
"I have heard from a source I cannot name that there are a few individuals within the military, even in high military circles, 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 a macaw."
In the same interview, the popular writer stated that she finds it unlikely that change in Cuba can come from within the island and referenced a popular saying to illustrate her belief that the regime will not willingly relinquish power.
"Dictatorships must be set on fire like the macao... because otherwise, they don't leave, they don't leave on their own," declared the author, who has been exiled in Miami since 1991, in an exclusive interview with CiberCuba.
Chaviano was categorical in ruling out the possibility of change arising from within the island. "I don't believe it can come from inside the island," she emphasized.
The proverb used by the writer refers to provoking a drastic and irreversible action, a great upheaval that forces a change which would not occur otherwise.
Although he expressed his wish for the regime to decide to leave, he acknowledged that he doesn't find it possible. "I wish they would decide that it’s time to go, but I don’t believe it’s going to happen," he said.
On the waiting stage, Chaviano was straightforward. "I would like it to be something very quick, that they eliminate the main causes of this situation, which is already unsustainable," she argued.
The writer referred to 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 specified.
Dissent within the military establishment?
Chaviano's statements come in a context of growing 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 that aims to seal any internal rift.
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 amid a population that is increasingly discontented.
It is not the first time dissent has been mentioned within the military ranks. 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 reminded us that rebellion is a current constitutional right in Cuba, an argument that has been used to legitimize any action of resistance from within the very institutions of the State.
However, internal control mechanisms make any dissent extremely dangerous. According to exiled Cuban former military personnel, the Military Counterintelligence has been the regime's preferred instrument for monitoring, neutralizing, and repressing any dissenting voice within the armed forces.
The economic context further exacerbates the situation. Cuba has recorded a cumulative decline of over 15% since 2020, which has profoundly deteriorated the living conditions of the population and, according to some experts, also the morale within the military institutions themselves.
Chaviano, who is preparing to reissue his novel The Man, the Woman, and Hunger in Miami, has maintained a consistent critical stance against the Cuban regime since his exile, and his remarks about potential dissidents within the military have sparked significant debate among the Cuban community.
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