Amelia Calzadilla posted a public message on her social media this Friday, indirectly responding to the controversy sparked by Carolina Barrero's statements regarding the founding of the Cuban Classical Liberal Party, without mentioning any names.
Calzadilla, who was the program coordinator for the organization Ciudadanía y Libertad before founding her own party, stated that she does not intend to respond to criticism. "I do not plan to respond, firstly because I don't have the time and secondly because all I care about now is the freedom that will bring me back home and liberalism, which I am sure will be the economic, political, and social solution our nation needs," she wrote.
The activist described the situation as a "circus of defamation and suspicion" and warned that she would keep silent about certain private truths. "I will uphold ethics, especially to resist the temptation to share all my truths, because not everything is public; some things deserve to remain silent," she added.
The controversy erupted on Thursday following some remarks by Barrero in an interview with Tania Costa from Berlin, in which she stated that neither she nor her team were aware that Calzadilla planned to found a party. "We were as perplexed as anyone because neither the team nor I knew about this, and we found out through social media," Barrero said.
However, several members of the party provided a different account of what happened. Lucio Enríquez Nodarse, treasurer of the Cuban Classical Liberal Party, published this Friday on Facebook that Barrero was indeed part of the WhatsApp group where the party was organized.
According to Nodarse, Barrero left the group after an internal discussion about the party's ideological definition. The treasurer stated that some members proposed removing the word "center" from the political positioning and defining the party as classical liberal right. "Either they take that out, or I'm not staying here," Nodarse wrote about his stance during the debate. According to his account, Barrero left the group before participating in the vote. He added that it was Lázaro Mireles who proposed putting the matter to a vote.
The activist and independent journalist Iliana Hernández also publicly questioned the version provided by Barrero. "At this point, Carolina Barrero was already aware of the existence of the party; Amelia spoke with her in person on April 14, and Carolina's partner is a witness to that conversation," Hernández wrote.
The Classic Cuban Liberal Party was formally presented in Madrid on May 19, with Calzadilla as president and Nodarse as treasurer. The party is defined as classical liberal right, with an emphasis on market economy and reduction of state power, inspired by the ideas of José Martí. Previously, it had circulated under the name of the Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party.
Calzadilla closed her post announcing an event in Madrid for that night: the welcome of Father Alberto Reyes, whom she described as part of what "is truly worth discussing." The controversy arises just a month after Calzadilla and Barrero traveled together to Brussels to meet with European parliamentarians and request the suspension of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba.
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