The former Cuban political prisoner Armando Valladares commented on the statements made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the existence of technocrats willing to collaborate in a political transition in Cuba, clarifying that Rubio did not explicitly state that these technocrats are on the island.
Rubio had stated before the U.S. Congress Foreign Affairs Committee that there are people in Cuba who understand that the current system is unsustainable and that Washington could work with them to facilitate political change, although he acknowledged that these individuals would not have the power to act on their own.
Valladares, in an interview with Tania Costa, underscored the impact of those words on the exile community: "That is something here that right now in exile is at 100% of all conversations, of all speculations."
However, the former prisoner provided a broader interpretation of Rubio's statements. "What Marco Rubio actually said is not that there are technocrats in Cuba."
Beyond the debate about the words of the Secretary of State, Valladares pointed out that the most significant fact at the moment is the emergence of a new leadership within the Cuban exile community centered around the 1940 Constitution as the basis for transition.
That leadership is embodied by the businessman Héctor Lanz, whom Valladares praised: "Leaders are not made; they emerge suddenly when there is a circumstance."
According to Valladares, Lanz achieved something unprecedented: he brought together all the most important exile organizations around a unique consensus. "It's the first time I've been at a conference with the major exile organizations where there wasn't a single disagreement," he stated.
"Héctor Lanz is a very wealthy Cuban businessman who has set aside all his business for the moment because he understands the importance of establishing this Constitution in Cuba," he added.
Valladares emphasized that the 1940 Constitution was considered one of the most advanced in the world at the time, even more so than the American one, and that it was never formally repealed.
"The Constitution of 1940 meets all the requirements for us to use it immediately, because it was never repealed."
Regarding the transition period in Cuba, Valladares was clear about who will not be included: "There is no doubt that members of the Cuban government will not participate in that transition period."
He also made it clear what one of the first measures will be: “The first thing to be declared is that the Communist Party will be considered an illegal party for the crimes it has committed.”
Valladares, who spent 22 years in Cuban prisons before being released in 1982 due to international pressure, concluded his assessment with a statement about the current moment of exile.
"Héctor Lanz has established himself with this movement, and the 1940 Constitution is definitely the next document for the future of Cuba."
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