Raul Mas Canosa, a Cuban-American businessman and younger brother of the historic exile leader Jorge Mas Canosa, advocated this Friday for his brother's vision for Cuba: to restore democracy, release political prisoners, and build bridges between the diaspora and Cubans on the island, with no desire for revenge or to reclaim properties.
In an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, Raul Mas Canosa was emphatic when discussing his brother's legacy. "Those are the things Jorge wanted to see in Cuba: restoring democracy and not to take someone's property away or do this or that," he stated. The purpose, he emphasized, was different: "It was to help, in other words, to truly unite the two communities, the one here in exile with the Cubans on the Island."
The Cuban-American banker and analyst described the agenda that his brother Jorge Mas Canosa would have promoted in a transitioning Cuba: to recreate democratic institutions, free all political prisoners, and call for free elections. "I would have liked to go to Cuba to rebuild, to recreate the institutions needed for a country in democracy, to free political prisoners," he noted.
In that regard, Raul Mas Canosa outright dismissed the idea that his nephews —Jorge Mas Santos and José Mas Santos, sons of Jorge Mas Canosa and co-owners of Inter Miami CF along with David Beckham— have financial motivations to look towards the Island. "They do not need a single extra cent. They have enough money to last not just the rest of their lives, but perhaps for ten lifetimes," he stated.
As a demonstration of the family's business prowess, he mentioned the football club: "They have also had incredible success with the football team, with Inter Miami, featuring Leo Messi. That today also holds extraordinary value." If his nephews think about Cuba, he said, it is for different reasons: "People don’t go to Cuba because they need the money; they go to Cuba because they feel a moral obligation to help rebuild what their father would have wanted."
Raul Mas Canosa also spoke on his own behalf when he explained the emotional bond that connects exiled Cubans to the Island. "We, who grew up here (in the United States), also feel that Cuba is part of our DNA," he said.
The businessman also described a renewed sense of optimism among Cuban-Americans in Miami. "In this community, there are many people, different groups here that are indeed studying the situation in Cuba. It has been revitalized, because for a long time there was uncertainty about when any kind of change would occur, but now people are much more encouraged," he noted.
This optimism coincides with a period of intense activity among exiles. In March 2026, various organizations signed the "Liberation Agreement" in Miami, a roadmap towards the democratization of Cuba, and in June, the Cuban opposition ratified a transition plan in Madrid consisting of four phases. The key points of the plan that Jorge Mas Canosa left for Cuba were also published earlier this year amidst the debate regarding the island's future.
Raul Mas Canosa was careful, however, not to present his family as the sole voice in that process. "There are various conversations. No one has a monopoly, not even my nephews claim to have a monopoly," he concluded.
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