The freedom of Cuba depends on what we Cubans do

The United States has just announced new and strong sanctions against nine entities of the Cuban communist regime and three leaders of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP). Those sanctioned include Fernando González Llort, president of ICAP and former spy of the so-called Wasp Network; Noemí Ramona Rabaza Fernández, first vice president; and Leima Martínez Freire, director for North America.

Also designated were the Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara Nickel Company, METALCUBA, GEOMINSAL, ACINOX Comercial, the Ministry of Construction, and the Agency for Commercial Representation Contracting (ACOREC), among others. Washington accuses the ICAP of operating for decades a subversive network in the United States under the guise of cultural and educational exchanges, and these entities of sustaining and financing the repressive apparatus of the regime. 

These measures, adopted under Executive Order 14404, once again confirm the U.S. determination to suffocate the sources of income of the dictatorship. Undoubtedly, the United States is doing an incredible job in favor of the transition to democracy in our homeland. I am one of those who support a surgical military intervention to put an end to that criminal tyranny, but I also understand that Cubans, even though we continue to fight, many with courage and great sacrifices, are not doing everything that the moment demands.

Without a doubt, the ones most in need of Cuba's democratization are the Cubans. Those on the Island, who suffer daily from brutal oppression, extreme poverty, blackouts, hunger, and repression. And those in Exile, who were forced by tyranny to leave the land where God intended us to be born. No one has more right or more duty than we do to achieve the freedom of our Homeland.

Today, more than ever, we have the greatest solidarity from the United States. The U.S. administration is exerting unprecedented pressure. On January 29, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency regarding Cuba and imposing a tariff system on countries that supply it with oil. This measure has been followed by additional sanctions against officials and entities of the regime. The visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Havana on May 14, 2026, to meet with senior officials from the Ministry of the Interior sent a clear message: there will only be serious commitment if Cuba makes fundamental changes.

The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, visited the Guantánamo Naval Base in June and warned the regime not to seek weapons that threaten the enclave or U.S. territory. A special CIA team has been created dedicated exclusively to the Cuban case. Meanwhile, the federal prosecutor's office for the Southern District of Florida has initiated legal proceedings against Raúl Castro for the shooting down of the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft in 1996, with a standing arrest warrant.

International solidarity is also growing in Latin America. Governments such as those of Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Honduras have shown increasingly firm stances in favor of the Cuban people and democratization. In Europe, the European Parliament approved one of its most assertive resolutions on June 18: it condemned the systematic repression, demanded the immediate release of political prisoners, called for sanctions against Miguel Díaz-Canel and those responsible for GAESA, and conditioned the continuation of dialogue with Havana on concrete steps towards a democratic transition.

The severe crisis that Cuba is experiencing compels us to organize, coordinate, and act with an effective strategy. Those who have not yet done so must break away from the structures of tyranny. They should cease collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, withdraw their support from the Armed Forces, and abandon the mass organizations serving the regime: the CDR, FMC, CTC, FEU, FEEM, UJC, and all others.

The spirits on the Island fluctuate: many feel encouraged when they perceive that the United States may act decisively soon, and they feel disheartened when they believe the strategy is merely long-term economic pressure. That is why we must remember the words of Pope John Paul II during his visit to Cuba in 1998: “Do not put off until tomorrow the construction of a new society, where the noblest dreams are not frustrated and where you can be the protagonists of your own history.” “Don’t wait for everything to be handed to you.”

We have the Cuba Liberation Agreement, signed by opposition coalitions both inside and outside the Island, which establishes a clear roadmap towards liberation, stabilization, reconstruction, and democratization. We must strengthen it. Those who do not fully identify with that structure can create another solid one and negotiate patriotically with the leadership of the Agreement, including them to enhance unity and coordination. Only in this way will we have a unified, powerful, credible voice capable of encouraging the people to join the struggle, withdraw their consent from the regime, and become part of the pro-democratic opposition.

We have extraordinary tools at our disposal: the internet and social media —Messenger, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram— that facilitate unity, communication, organization, coordination, and the distribution of roles. We must create structure, assign responsibilities, and execute them with love, courage, intelligence, dedication, and commitment so that our actions can flow effectively.

The protest actions that occur almost daily are not very significant, but they are not enough to achieve the freedom and well-being of the nation. A strong and disciplined structure is needed to demonstrate to everyone that we are capable of producing and leading the transition to democracy and that, when the regime falls, Cuba will not descend into total chaos and that a massive and disorderly migration to the shores of the United States will not take place.

We will soon achieve what we are capable of conquering through our effort, our firmness, our courage, our valor, and our determination. Even the United States, the greatest ally of the Cuban people in their struggle for freedom, along with other supportive actors, will assess their commitment based on what they see in us—a people determined to claim their rights and rebuild the nation.

The pro-democracy opposition must be consistent, united, strong, credible, and capable of garnering broad popular support. This depends exclusively on ourselves. No one else can do what is our responsibility. Neither the United States, nor Europeans, nor Latin Americans. If we fulfill our duty in this historic moment, when the regime is more isolated and has fewer allies than ever, we will make José Martí's dream of a Cuba for all and for the good of all a reality.

Everything is in our hands and in our decisions. If we don't act, we will regret it later. Let’s continue asking the U.S. and the free world for more actions and sanctions against the dictatorship, as well as more solidarity for political prisoners, the opposition, and the people in general, but let’s do better what is our responsibility.