Mike Hammer, mission chief of the United States Embassy in Cuba, delivered one of the most powerful speeches of his tenure this Saturday during the official reception for the 250th anniversary of American independence at his residence in Havana.
The event, framed within the campaign #Freedom250 by the Embassy, was characterized from the outset by a repressive operation from State Security that prevented the attendance of dozens of opponents, journalists, and activists.
"Too many have not been able to be here."
Hammer began his speech with a direct accusation: "Dear Cuban friends, patriots who have been able to join us here this afternoon, because too many have not been able to be here. The regime has threatened, detained, and even imprisoned them." The diplomat asked those present, by name, about the absentees: "Where is Yoani Sánchez? Where is Ana Sofía Benítez? Where are the kids from Fuera de la Caja? This is unacceptable."
Three Voices of the Cuban Resistance
Hammer turned to three moral figures to articulate his message of hope and denunciation.
He referenced the late opposition leader Oswaldo Payá with the phrase that became the evening's common thread: "The night will not last forever. In fact, the people know, they feel that change is coming."
I echo the words of Haydée Milanés, daughter of the troubadour Pablo Milanés and exiled in Miami since 2022:
"If I am an exile, it is because I feel that in some way the dictatorship pushed me to leave my country, closed the doors on me, and censored me."
Hammer added: "The cruelty of forcing people to leave their homeland, their country. But soon all exiled Cubans will be able to return to help rebuild this great nation, this pearl of the Caribbean."
Finally, he concluded his references with a quote from Father Alberto Reyes, a Cuban priest and critical voice within the Catholic Church, who stated that “The solution is not to free the economy, but to free the citizen.”
The diplomat issued a direct warning to the dictatorship: "Your time is running out," and assured that "freedom is on the way."
Mike Hammer concluded his speech by raising a glass of Bacardí rum - a brand of Cuban origin - with a toast that encapsulated the spirit of the evening:
"May the United States enjoy another 250 years of freedom, and may Cuba be free in the year 2026. Long live a free Cuba!"
Before, I posed a question that the regime has no comfortable answer for: “Ask yourselves why the regime is so afraid of Cuban friends coming here to celebrate freedom.”
Journalist Yoani Sánchez reported that day having a presence of political police in the lower levels of her building, which prevented her from going out.
The activist Anna Sofía Benítez had been held for nearly 11 hours at the Alamar police station on July 2. The independent journalist Henry Constantín, detained multiple times in January 2026, was summoned by the authorities to prevent his presence.
Political prisoner Mario Alberto Hernández recounted an even more severe experience: "State Security came after me, they gave me some punches and also hit me in the head with a piece of a seat."
"They are running out of time."
In statements to Martí Noticias, the diplomat described the event as a success despite everything: “It was difficult to celebrate a freedom that we enjoy as American citizens, but that no longer exists in Cuba today.”
The reception included an audiovisual presentation featuring testimonies from Cubans both on and off the island, a message from Secretary of State Marco Rubio —who also distributed a video to embassies around the world under the slogan #Freedom250— and recorded messages from the young opposition members themselves, who anticipated being detained:
"If you are watching this video, it is because, for some reason beyond our control, we were unable to be present at this celebration. May the commitment to freedom continue to be a beacon of hope for the world."
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