Cuban activist Yamilka Lafita, known on social media as Lara Crofs, raised questions about the effectiveness of pacifism against authoritarian regimes such as those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela in a recent Facebook post.
Her remarks followed the U.S. military's operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both face charges of narco-terrorism by the U.S. government and are now in New York, where they may soon make their first court appearance.
The Trump administration's actions have sparked a global debate, with opinions sharply divided even among opponents of Maduro's regime in Venezuela and Díaz-Canel's government in Cuba.
"I'm against any form of violence, especially that which is conducted without limits or moral responsibility," Lafita wrote on Facebook. She emphasized that populations under entrenched dictatorships cannot confine their resistance to "an abstract pacifism that ignores reality."
Lafita pointed out that in these nations, "thousands have lost their freedom, health, families, and, in numerous instances, their lives," while the oppressive regimes remain unchallenged, continuing their grip on power for decades.
Referencing years of peaceful protests, failed negotiations, and rigged elections, Lara Crofs posed an inevitable question: "How do these types of dictatorships fall?"
"History shows that closed tyrannies seldom collapse solely due to internal pressure," she noted, highlighting how these regimes control "weapons, courts, media, and the economy, while maintaining international alliances that keep them afloat."
Lafita argued that refusing to even discuss the possibility of external assistance is akin to "asking exhausted societies to topple professional repressive apparatuses with bare hands, while the world watches from a position of comfortable ethical superiority or simply turns a blind eye."
"Nonviolence shouldn't be a perpetual sentence, nor an excuse for international inaction," she asserted, advocating that genuine solidarity "requires political costs, effective pressure, and strategic support."
In closing, the activist urged Cubans to refrain from judging the choices of other peoples, like Venezuelans, in their quest for freedom.
"They have shown to be braver, more organized, and more willing to achieve freedom than we are, having endured 67 years under the boot without even forming an organized opposition," she lamented.
Her post elicited reactions of support and debate among users, many agreeing that civic struggle in Cuba is reaching a breaking point after decades of repression without visible political changes.
Key Questions About U.S. Intervention in Venezuela
Why did the U.S. intervene in Venezuela?
The U.S. intervened in Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are accused of narco-terrorism by the U.S. government.
What are the potential consequences of the U.S. action in Venezuela?
The intervention has triggered a global debate, with divided opinions even among Maduro's opponents, and highlights the challenges of addressing entrenched authoritarian regimes.