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The opposition coalition Pasos de Cambio confirmed in Madrid the Agreement for Liberation, a document that sets out the roadmap to guide a democratic transition in Cuba in the event of a possible collapse of the regime, according to reported El Mundo.
The agreement had been signed for the first time on March 2 in Miami by the coalitions Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) and Steps for Change, along with more than 30 civic and opposition organizations both inside and outside of Cuba.
The main speaker of the event was Rosa María Payá, founder of Cuba Decide, representative of Pasos de Cambio, and daughter of the late dissident Oswaldo Payá.
"All Cubans are called to be part of the process," declared Payá during the event held in the Spanish capital.
"The Agreement is a set of conditions that we all agree on and should guide the process of change in Cuba," the opposition leader insisted, emphasizing the consensus reached among the different groups.
Payá explained that the document is the result of years of coordinated work: "After many working meetings and conversations with each of the groups in exile that have worked or are currently working."
The Madrid ratification is not the final point of the process. "We will be meeting, we will continue this work to prepare ourselves and be ready at the moment power fractures in Cuba," he affirmed.
The opposition figure also acknowledged that for the first time there is a "concrete and real pressure" on the regime, coming from the streets, the exile community, and the international community, especially from the United States.
The transition plan includes four phases: Liberation, Stabilization, Reconstruction, and Democratization of the country, and it entails the dismantling of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and the disbanding of all its repressive mechanisms.
The document also announces the creation of nine technical working commissions in areas such as Humanitarian Emergency, Security and Defense, Economic Recovery, Health, Education, Justice, Exile and Reunification, and a Constitutional Commission.
The ultimate goal is to call for the first free, fair, and multiparty elections in Cuba after 67 years of communist dictatorship, with a provisional government as a preliminary stage.
The agreement also prioritizes the immediate release of all political prisoners and the restoration of freedoms of expression, press, association, and religion.
At the event in Madrid, representatives of the Cuban exile community from various European countries attended. Elena Larrinaga, president of the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba, was one of the signatories of the document.
"The effort of the Liberation Agreement is an important and definitive step for Cuba due to its significance in fostering social cohesion. Without social cohesion, there is no country," he stated.
Also present were journalist Gina Montaner, former president of the Community of Madrid Esperanza Aguirre, and Rocío Monasterio, former spokesperson for Vox in the Madrid Assembly and of Cuban descent, who is joining as a member of the honorary advisory board of the Foundation for Pan-American Democracy led by Payá.
The ratification in Madrid occurs in a context of maximum international pressure on the regime: the Florida Senate officially recognized the Agreement on April 29 through a proclamation by Senator Alexis Calatayud, and the European Union announced that it will review its cooperation agreement with Cuba.
The text of the agreement concludes with a statement of unity: "By joining our forces, we declare that every Cuban, wherever they are, is called to be the protagonist of their liberation."
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