Cuban-American Challenges the Notion that Trump Should Liberate Cuba

Yurek Vázquez, a Cuban-American expert in markets and business rescue, recently shared a video on Instagram addressing those who believe Donald Trump should be the catalyst for toppling Cuba’s dictatorship.

Vázquez argues that the onus for change lies with the Cuban people themselves, rather than relying on any foreign power.

The video has garnered over 61,000 views and more than 3,000 likes, highlighting the resonance of his message at a time when the Trump administration is actively negotiating with Havana's regime. Discussions include a potential economic agreement that would ease sanctions and propose a gradual exit for Díaz-Canel.

"Dictatorships don't fall because another country desires it. They fall when their own people decide to confront the regime," stated Vázquez, who lived in Cuba until he was 14 years old.

To support his argument, he referenced five historical examples: the fall of Ceaușescu in Romania in 1989, the collapse of the Berlin Wall in East Germany, the Solidarity movement in Poland, the Maidan Revolution in Ukraine, and the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. In each case, the decisive factor was internal mobilization by the people, not the intervention of a foreign power.

The Role of the Cuban People

Vázquez was critical of what he perceives as the Cuban people's passivity.

He reminded viewers of the July 11, 2021, protests—the largest public demonstrations in Cuba in decades—where most participants returned home in the face of repression ordered by Díaz-Canel, who declared "the order to fight is given." They did not return to protest or support those detained.

Around 1,512 individuals were arrested, with 519 sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. Vázquez questioned why there hasn't been sustained pressure on the streets to demand the release of these political prisoners.

"How can we morally ask the United States to sacrifice when Cubans—those who are enduring the dictatorship—are not willing to make their own sacrifices?" Vázquez queried.

Understanding the Complex Dynamics

The Cuban acknowledged that fear and repression are real factors but insisted that the primary responsibility lies with the Cuban people.

"In other dictatorships, the people bore the cost of changing their destiny. The people, not an external country. They didn't wait for crumbs or any kind of deliverance. They saved themselves," he asserted.

The video comes amid heightened political tension between Cuba and the United States. Trump has stated that a deal could be reached "very soon," cautioning that otherwise, "we will do what we have to do."

Opposition figure José Daniel Ferrer and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart have warned that "partial changes are unacceptable" and any deal must ensure full democracy.

Vázquez emphasized that the U.S. will always act according to its own interests. "America First means those interests will have to be negotiated," he said. "If I have to do it, then it will be in my way and for my own interests."

The Current Crisis in Cuba

Cuba's ongoing crisis exacerbates the situation. Following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026, the island lost between 26,000 and 30,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil daily, leading to power outages that affect 58% of the territory. Food shortages are rampant, and wages are insufficient.

If neither misery nor repression have been enough to spur popular mobilization in Cuba, Vázquez poses his most challenging question: "Who is responsible for bringing down that dictatorship?"