The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, stated that Cuba "is obviously not a democratic state" and assured that the regime understands it must transform itself.
His statements were with the Argentine journalist Eduardo Feinmann for the program "América Habla" from Infobae, in an interview conducted at the National Palace of Santo Domingo.
When Feinmann directly asked him if Cuba is a dictatorship, Abinader avoided using that term and repeatedly stated his formula: "It is not a democratic state. They have their way of holding elections, but it is not a democratic state."
The Dominican leader went further and expressed a measured sense of optimism about the future of the regime.
"They have a system, a revolution, and I believe they themselves are realizing that they need to make a change, and they are heading in that direction."
Regarding U.S. sanctions, Abinader took a pragmatic stance.
"Cuba must undergo a process of reform and democratization. Therefore, whatever is effective in advancing that process of reform and democratization should be implemented," he stated, without expressing an ideological stance for or against the embargo.
The Dominican president also reaffirmed his country's strategic alignment: when asked if his alliance is with the United States, he replied with a single word: "Absolutely."
In the same interview, Abinader denounced the electoral fraud in Venezuela and reaffirmed his position from the outset.
"I was one of the strongest opponents of the election theft that occurred in 2024. During my inauguration, I was firm and stated that we would fight for democracy in Venezuela. Obviously, the elections were stolen (in Nicolás Maduro's government)," he asserted.
This position is consistent with the trajectory of the president: The Dominican Republic never recognized Maduro's legitimacy following the elections in July 2024, and Abinader has reiterated that his country "will always stand by democracy, wherever it is, whenever it is, and against whoever it is."
The statements come at a time of intense international pressure on Havana. In March, Abinader participated in the "Shield of the Americas" summit called by Trump in Miami, where 12 Latin American leaders signed a coalition explicitly aimed against the influence of Cuba, China, and Iran in the region.
In that meeting, Trump predicted a new life for Cuba and stated that the regime is going through its "final moments."
Additionally, four heads of state personally asked him to address the situation in Cuba, to which the U.S. president responded that he would "take care of it."
The regime, for its part, has attempted to present some measures as signs of economic openness, but analysts believe the reforms announced by Díaz-Canel are insufficient to address the structural crisis facing the island.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla described the Miami summit as "reactionary" and "neocolonial", marking Havana's official response to the increasing diplomatic siege.
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