In a significant move, Cuban exile organizations gathered in Miami this Monday to unveil the "Liberation Agreement," a strategic alliance aimed at orchestrating a clear pathway to dismantle the current political regime in Cuba and establish a transitional government that would lead to democratic elections.
Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat and Rosa María Payá, representing the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) and Pasos de Cambio respectively, signed the document alongside other civic and opposition groups both within and outside Cuba.
Described by its organizers as a "historic alliance," the agreement offers more than just condemnation of the regime. It lays out a structured plan with defined phases and mechanisms intended to achieve the liberation, stabilization, and democratization of Cuba.
Central to the document is the principle: "By uniting our forces, we declare that every Cuban, wherever they are, is called to be a protagonist in their own liberation."
Three-Phase Plan for Change
The Agreement outlines three primary stages: Liberation, Stabilization, and Democratization, with the ultimate goal of ending the existing political system and restoring the rule of law.
According to the document, the strategy involves "dismantling the criminal enterprise that is the Communist Party of Cuba, along with dismantling all its repressive organizational mechanisms."
During the event, Rosa María Payá emphasized: "Today, we push forward the democratic alternative to the barbarity that rules our nation. The only exit from the crisis is the departure of the dictatorship, and it is urgent, given the brutal human suffering of our families and people on the Island."
Concrete Steps Toward Transition
Payá stressed that the project is neither symbolic nor merely declarative: "There can be no stabilization under repression in Cuba. We don't have a wish list; we are driving a comprehensive transition plan addressing every necessary aspect during a provisional period, from humanitarian to economic and institutional, which will continue evolving through the work commissions we announce today."
The Agreement proposes the establishment of a provisional, representative government with a limited transition period aimed at:
- Addressing the humanitarian emergency.
- Rebuilding institutions.
- Ensuring fundamental rights.
- Holding free, multiparty, and internationally monitored general elections.
Priorities of the Liberation Agreement
The immediate release of over 1,000 political prisoners and the restoration of basic freedoms—such as expression, press, association, and religion, along with the right to private enterprise and public office without discrimination—are among the declared priorities.
The document identifies three pillars of the program:
- National reunification after decades of exile and forced separation.
- Ensuring prosperity and human flourishing by guaranteeing individual rights, dignity, and freedoms.
- Demilitarization and the eradication of political power held by anti-democratic, communist, or totalitarian doctrines.
The Agreement also calls for increasing international and economic pressure on the regime and ending impunity for alleged crimes against humanity.
Operational Steps for Transition
As an initial operational step, signatories announced the formation of work commissions focused on key areas for a potential transition:
- Humanitarian Emergency
- Security, Defense, and Public Order
- Economic Recovery, Social Development, and Infrastructure
- Health
- Education
- Legislative
- Judicial
- Exile and Reunification
- Constitutional Commission
These structures aim to lay the technical and institutional groundwork for a potential stabilization period, according to the organizers.
Call for Unity and International Pressure
Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, ARC's Secretary-General, issued a stirring call for mobilization: "The time has come to complete the crusade and make Cuba free again so that Cubans can decide their own future," he declared.
He urged both the people on the Island and the international community: "We call upon everyone to work for the just and necessary uprising of the Cuban people against this oppressive dictatorship. We call for an international diplomatic siege on this regime. We ask all Cubans, wherever they are, who have not stained their hands with blood, to step forward and support this people's quest for freedom."
He concluded by emphasizing collective effort: "Together, we will pursue freedom through the most effective and efficient pathways."
In their final declaration, the organizations expressed that the process aims to usher in a "new republican era" through free elections and the restoration of popular sovereignty.
Beyond Condemnation: A Roadmap for Transition
The Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) highlighted on social media that the Agreement "seeks something larger than denunciation... it seeks transition."
The organization notes that the plan advocates strategic coordination, international legitimacy, and a clear route towards the liberation of political prisoners and institutional reconstruction in the country.
The Liberation Agreement thus emerges as an attempt to unite the exile community and opposition sectors around a common roadmap. It remains to be seen what real impact this alliance can have on Cuba's political dynamics and on the international stage, amid a backdrop of economic crisis, increased exodus, and repression of dissent.
Understanding the Liberation Agreement
What is the "Liberation Agreement"?
The "Liberation Agreement" is a strategic alliance formed by Cuban exile organizations to propose a clear pathway toward dismantling the current political regime in Cuba and establishing a transitional government leading to democratic elections.
What are the main objectives of the Agreement?
The Agreement aims to end the existing political system, restore the rule of law, dismantle the Communist Party of Cuba, and establish a provisional government to ensure democratic governance and basic human rights.
Who are the key figures behind the Agreement?
Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat and Rosa María Payá, leaders of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) and Pasos de Cambio respectively, are the prominent figures involved in promoting the Liberation Agreement.
How does the Agreement plan to achieve its goals?
The Agreement proposes a three-phase plan involving liberation, stabilization, and democratization, alongside forming work commissions to focus on key transitional areas such as humanitarian aid, security, and economic recovery.