The Cuban priest Alberto Reyes, one of the most critical voices within the Catholic Church on the island, stated that there remains a strong desire among Cubans for the current situation in the country to end, but he warned that the hope for change that existed at the beginning of the year has diminished considerably.
"It is no secret that we are living a nightmare. But how is the Cuban doing at this moment? With a strong desire for this nightmare to end once and for all," said Reyes during an interview with journalist Alexis Boentes from Telemundo 51, during the priest's visit to Miami."
Reyes, the parish priest in Esmeralda, Camagüey, explained that during other difficult periods, Cubans held onto the hope that conditions would eventually improve, a perception that, he noted, has weakened in the present time.
"In all the moments of crisis, there has somehow been a hope of 'well, this is going to get better.' That hope is not there now," he stated.
The priest noted that the statements made at the beginning of 2026 by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially generated expectations within Cuba regarding the possibility of political changes.
However, Reyes assured that the passing months without those expectations being realized changed the mood of many Cubans.
"Time has passed, nothing has happened, and hope has significantly diminished. So now it's like 'I don't know whether to trust or not to trust,'" he explained.
The religious leader also shared his views on the support that the Cuban political system maintains among the population.
«Finding someone in Cuba who truly believes that communism, the revolution, is the solution, that's not happening», he stated.
When discussing the contacts between Washington and Havana and the possibility of a resolution to the crisis, Reyes advocated for the establishment of a dialogue table that leads to concrete steps towards a political transition.
"A roundtable where concrete steps for a transition can begin to be taken. What I understand by dialogue is: 'how is this government going to leave'", he stated.
The priest rejected the notion that this dialogue aims to keep the current government as one of the parties responsible for deciding the political future of the country.
"That is to say, it’s not 'how are we going to do this together', no, no, no. You have already demonstrated in almost 70 years that you don't know how to do it or you haven't wanted to do it, and that you don't care about the people. Therefore, the current Cuban government, the Castro family, etc., must go,” he concluded.
Boentes noted at the end of the report that Reyes will return to Cuba and that, according to the priest, there is a perception among many Cubans that the main culprits behind the crisis are those who remain in power.
The statements from the parish priest come at a time when Washington has increased its public messages to the Cuban authorities.
During a recent interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that those within the Cuban government who believe they can simply wait until the end of the Trump administration "are mistaken."
"Unfortunately, too many of the people who remain there chanting revolutionary slogans still believe they can wait for this administration to end without making any changes or taking action. They are mistaken and will learn their lesson the hard way if they do not make corrections," Rubio stated.
Rubio also stated that Washington expects Cuba to "choose a different path" and asserted that "economic freedom cannot exist in Cuba without first having political freedom", suggesting that any transformation process would require a transitional period.
From Havana, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernández de Cossío has acknowledged that both governments are in communication, although he has expressed skepticism about the outcomes.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Fernández de Cossío stated that he does not see any "progress" in the contacts and argued that it is difficult to anticipate results while Washington continues to impose new sanctions and pressure measures.
Days earlier, Fernández de Cossío had also acknowledged the existence of an official communication channel between Havana and Washington, although he dismissed the idea that any concrete progress had been made.
“We have formal diplomatic relations with the United States and thus an official communication channel,” he noted.
Reyes has insisted over the past few weeks that the economic and social situation in Cuba continues to deteriorate.
In September, for instance, he stated that the island was "infinitely worse," questioned whether the current system could offer a way out of the crisis, and advocated for the need for a deep and peaceful political transformation.
He has also reflected on the role of the Catholic Church in Cuban reality and the tensions arising from publicly taking critical stances.
The priest has described the Church as a "discomforting neighbor" when it chooses to support the demands and needs of the people.
Related videos:
Filed under: