The journalist and analyst Jorge de Armas, from Hypermedia Magazine, made a direct criticism of a segment of the Cuban exile community during an interview with Tania Costa, accusing those who advocate for the deportation of Cubans with I-220A status of "ingratitude" and "betraying the cause of Cuba."
"Those were the ones who went out on July 11 to shout for freedom when the majority of this exile has not even raised a hand to hail a taxi," De Armas stated, referring to the participants in the July 11, 2021 protests, the largest mobilizations against the Cuban regime in decades.
De Armas went further by pointing out that "the majority of this exile did not suffer imprisonment, nor were they hit on the head or repressed, nor are they in the prison of Guanajay," contrasting the experience of those who stayed in Cuba with that of certain sectors of the exile community who today are calling for the deportation of those same compatriots.
The analyst established a generational distinction within the exile community. In this way, he differentiated between the Pedro Pan, the Marielitos, the balseros of the 1990s, and the more recent arrivals — CBP One, parole, and I-220A. For De Armas, the latter represent the main force for change in Cuba.
"The I-220A were parents who left their children in Cuba to provide them with a better life, and they are going to return," he emphasized, distinguishing them from the Pedro Pan, who were children sent into exile by their own parents seeking to give them a better life.
According to De Armas, these Cubans have lived in the United States for four to five years and have gained a transformative experience: "They enjoyed four or five years of freedom, understood what democracy is, learned what it means to save money, what it means to build credit, and understood what it is to start a business."
The journalist warned that ignoring this potential has direct consequences for the opposition cause. "And that enormous force that can bring about change in Cuba, we are turning our backs on it." He was even more emphatic in stating that those who call for deportations "are directly collaborating with the dictatorship."
As a concrete example of the contradiction she denounces, the interviewer mentioned the case of May Díaz, a person who participated in the protests of 11J and who still maintains an unstable immigration status, illustrating how exile turns its back on those who risked their freedom on the island.
The debate arises at a time when the deportations of Cubans with I-220A have intensified under the second Trump administration: by March 2026, nearly 2,000 Cubans had been deported. Documented cases, such as that of Yoelsi Linares Reyes, who reported torture and State Security surveillance after being returned to Cuba, illustrate the real risks these migrants face upon return.
The interview took place within the context of the debate regarding the sanctions imposed by the State Department against Díaz-Canel and figures of the regime, announced on June 4th, which provided a backdrop for a broader discussion on the transition in Cuba and the role of the exile community.
De Armas also questioned the actual ability of the opposition to lead that process of change in Cuba. "Do our political opposition figures really have a concrete plan to rebuild the country? To start, what economy do they have? What alliances? None."
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