Amelia Calzadilla published a video on Facebook this Thursday, lasting just over two minutes, in which she answers the question that she has been most frequently asked since announcing the foundation of the Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party (PLOC): why create a political party now, from exile?
His answer is straightforward: "Because I firmly believe in the future of Cuba. Because I am certain that the dictatorship will fall."
Calzadilla explained that her motivation is not to secure a government position, but to be prepared for the moment when Cuba can rebuild itself as a free nation.
"I don't want to reach that moment when I can help but don't have enough tools because I didn't take the time to do it now," she stated.
The activist, exiled in Madrid since November 2023, was emphatic in distinguishing the foundation from any immediate aspirations for power.
"A party does not guarantee governance. Just because I build or establish a political party today does not mean that I will govern, because in the end, if I believe in anything, it is in a person's right to choose freely," he noted.
Calzadilla conditioned the future of the project on the will of the people: "This project will only materialize if the people decide so, if one day we have an electoral law that allows for multipartyism."
The PLOC was announced as a center-right liberal party, inspired by the humanist ideals of José Martí and free market policies, with three pillars: justice, dignity, and prosperity.
In this Thursday's video, Calzadilla also defended the usefulness of creating political proposals even in the current context of repression.
"The time we have now, as we unfortunately face a cruel dictatorship and are in a period of such desolation, should not only be used to talk about what we do not want, but also to begin to build, even if in a theoretical context, what we do want," he argued.
The announcement of the party generated a wave of massive support among Cubans in exile and on the island, with figures like activist Saily González Velázquez stating, “Finally, a party has emerged that represents me.”
It also provoked mockery from the pro-government program Con Filo, which released a sarcastic video announcing "its own party." Calzadilla responded to that reaction stating that it "fills her with pride" because it "reflects how much pain" the project causes them.
The comedian Ulises Toirac also reacted to the announcement of the PLOC, pointing out the paradox that founding a party in Cuba is a "seismic" act, given that Article 5 of the 2019 Constitution enshrines the Communist Party as the sole leading force of the State.
Calzadilla, who revealed her long-term political ambitions in a previous interview, concluded the video with a statement of conviction: "The reason is that I blindly believe that such a Cuba will come, and I want to be prepared to help."
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