José Daniel Ferrer Challenges Díaz-Canel with Call for Free Elections

Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, recently released from prison, has issued a strong message to Miguel Díaz-Canel. Ferrer urged the Cuban leader to hold "free and plural elections" and to begin a process of "national reconciliation."

"It's time to stop harming #Cuba, to end the state's terrorism against its people, causing millions of Cubans to suffer various deprivations and seek to migrate elsewhere. It's time to stop persecuting and imprisoning dissenters in concentration camps, reminiscent of the Nazis," Ferrer declared in a message shared on his social media platforms.

Ferrer continued by emphasizing the need for Cuba to become a "free and democratic nation" friendly to the West. He called for the reconstruction of the country and the end of hunger and poverty.

He further demanded "free and plural elections" to allow the Cuban people to reclaim their "sovereignty." Ferrer stressed the importance of initiating an honest process of national reconciliation that does not exclude any Cuban. He warned against the dangers of clinging to power, which only prolongs the suffering of the people. "Do what reason and justice demand," he urged.

The leader of the Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU), Ferrer was imprisoned for the last three and a half years in Santiago de Cuba. He advised Díaz-Canel not to wait until it’s too late, noting that "time is running out and the patience of a desperate people has limits." Despite the torture he endured under the regime, Ferrer bears no ill will but vows never to remain silent about the injustices inflicted on the nation. He remains committed to fighting for the rights and welfare of all Cubans, even at the risk of returning to prison or worse.

On January 20, Ferrer made a passionate call for unity among all Cubans, both on the island and in the diaspora, to confront the regime and advocate for freedom, democracy, and human rights. In his social media message, Ferrer reaffirmed his resolve to continue the fight against tyranny after his unjust and harsh imprisonment. "It is time for Cubans inside and outside the island to unite in a single front and show the world our firm determination to win our freedom and turn Cuba into a just and prosperous nation allied with the West," he wrote.

Following his release last Thursday, Ferrer had already delivered a message of resilience and hope, encouraging Cubans to shed their fears because "the oppressor is increasingly terrified." In statements to Martí Noticias, he urged them not to fear the struggle for a free, just, and prosperous Cuba. "Do not be afraid to face the oppressor, because the oppressor is increasingly fearful and weak. As we face them with dignity, their existence will be shorter, their time in power will be less, and their abuses will diminish," he added.

Ferrer concluded that together, "we can change Cuba, end oppression, misery, hunger, and widespread poverty, and give Cuba and its people what we have always deserved: a happy, free, just, and prosperous Cuba." Recognized as a "prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty International, Ferrer was arrested on July 12, 2021, amid the anti-government protests of July 11. As the leader of the Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU), Ferrer, who is now 54 years old, has long been a steadfast opponent of the Cuban communist regime, enduring numerous imprisonments, persecutions, and reprisals for his political activities.