The free world must stand with the Cuban people, not with tyranny

This Wednesday, October 14, at the headquarters of the Cuban Democratic Directorate and the Assembly of the Resistance, ARC, in Miami, we presented to both national and international press an important appeal addressed to the governments of free and democratic nations. Our request is clear and emphatic: to vote against, or at least abstain from, the resolution that the Castro-communist regime will present on October 27 and 28 at the United Nations General Assembly against U.S. sanctions.

The initiative, driven by the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance and the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), within the framework of the Liberation Agreement, has already gathered over a thousand endorsements and continues to receive new support. In addition to the signatures collected directly, more than 550 have been registered through a digital platform.

The involvement of leaders from organizations with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of members significantly enhances their representativeness. We are witnessing a demand supported by a broad representation of pro-democratic Cuban organizations, both within the Island and in exile.

Among the signatories are well-known fighters for freedom, political prisoners, human rights defenders, and prisoners of conscience who continue to suffer repression in the prisons of the dictatorship. Notable are Félix Navarro Rodríguez and his daughter Saylí Navarro Álvarez, imprisoned in Matanzas, as well as Alexander Verdecia Rodríguez, a political prisoner held in Camagüey. Their participation lends special moral significance to this appeal: even from behind bars, our compatriots demand that democracies listen to the voices of those suffering under the oppression of an undemocratic regime.

For more than six decades, the communist regime has trampled on fundamental freedoms, prevented free elections, persecuted its opponents, and subjected the economy to a centralized, inefficient, and deeply corrupt system. However, it seeks to convince the world that U.S. sanctions are the primary cause of the national tragedy.

The figures refute the existence of the so-called blockade. Between January and July 2026, the United States exported approximately 674 million dollars' worth of goods to Cuba, including nearly 157 million in fuels and petroleum products. The fundamental problem of Cuba is not the lack of resources from abroad, but a political and economic system that prevents citizens from exercising their rights, developing their abilities freely, and holding their leaders accountable.

Our call also proposes a two-pronged policy: to maintain pressure on those responsible for repression and corruption, while expanding direct humanitarian assistance through Caritas, churches and independent organizations, with transparent mechanisms that ensure food and medicines reach those in need.

We specifically address the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin American democracies. We urge you not to confuse the Cuban people with those who govern them without their consent.

Each favorable vote for the regime's resolution will be portrayed by its propaganda machinery as a political triumph. However, true solidarity with Cuba must be expressed through support for the victims of repression, the demand for the release of all political prisoners and support for a peaceful transition to democracy.

The time has come for the free world to unite in support of the cause of democratization in Cuba. We demand solidarity, democratic consistency, and commitment to human rights.

The Cuban people deserve to live without fear, to freely choose their leaders, and to build a prosperous, reconciled, and democratic nation, inspired by the Martian ideal of a republic "with all and for the good of all."

The free world must stand with the Cuban people, never with the tyranny that oppresses them.