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Three Cuban opposition organizations in exile have called for an international forum in Madrid on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the historic protests of July 11, 2021, this Friday, July 10.
The event, titled «Challenges for the Cuba to Come», will be held at 5:00 PM at the House of Freedom, located at Calle Lanzarote 22, in San Sebastián de los Reyes.
The call was launched last Monday by the Cuban Classic Liberal Party (PLCC), the Civic Movement Somos +, and the Association Dissidencias en Movimiento, under the motto "For the freedom, democracy, and dignity of Cuba."
A dialogue about the democratic future of the Island
According to the official announcement, the meeting arises from the need to create a space for discussion on the political transition in Cuba.
"On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of July 11, 2021, a date that symbolizes the rebellion of Cubans in their quest for freedom, [the organizations] invite you to the International Colloquium 'Challenges for the Cuba of the Future,' an essential dialogue about the democratic future of the nation," the text states.
The organizers emphasize that the purpose goes beyond mere commemoration:
"Five years after 11J, this colloquium aims to create a space for reflection on the country that will emerge after authoritarianism. More than a commemoration, it will be an invitation to think about and build the free Cuba that citizens deserve."
The panelists and the moderator
The colloquium will bring together figures from the political, academic, and economic spheres, both Cuban and foreign.
The Dr. Antonio Guedes, a physician and political analyst specializing in democratic transition processes in Ibero-America, will serve as the moderator.
Guedes was a founding member of the now-defunct Liberal Union of Cuba alongside intellectual Carlos Alberto Montaner, who passed away in Madrid in June 2023.
Among the panelists are Amelia Calzadilla, president of the PLCC and human rights activist; Ignacio Bongiovanni, Argentine economist and member of the International Foundation for Liberty, created by Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa; Juan Navarrete, historian and deputy director of the Juan de Mariana Institute, a Spanish liberal think tank; and Percival Manglano, lawyer, former congressman for Madrid, and former advisor on Economy and Finance for the Community of Madrid.
Entry to the colloquium is free until capacity is reached. Interested individuals should request participation at the emails amecalz18@gmail.com, info@partidoliberalclasicocubano.com, and spain@somosmas.com.
Part of a triple event in Madrid
The colloquium is the second event of a triple event organized by the PLCC taking place from July 9 to 11 in the Spanish capital.
On Wednesday, a discussion was held at the Casa del Cura in Madrid featuring Javier Larrondo from Prisoners Defenders, activist Yunior García Aguilera, and Elías Rizo León, the young man who, at 16, became an iconic image of 11J by waving a Cuban flag over a police patrol car.
The highlight will be next Saturday, July 11, with a gathering at Puerta del Sol from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, which will include information booths, political speeches, and a concert by young Cubans.
The day holds particular significance due to the situation of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, leader of the San Isidro Movement, who was detained on July 11, 2021. His five-year sentence officially ended this Wednesday, but the Supreme People's Court rejected any reduction for good behavior.
On Monday, he was moved from the prison in Guanajay to an unknown location without being released, which raised alarm among activists and family members. He is currently missing.
According to data from Prisoners Defenders, Cuba reached a record of between 1,260 and 1,281 political prisoners in May 2026. Of these, at least 338 individuals would still be serving sentences directly related to the protests of July 11.
The amnesty announced by the regime on April 2, 2026, for 2,010 prisoners explicitly excluded those convicted of crimes against authority, the categories used to criminalize the demonstrators.
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