Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Advocates for "Surgical Intervention" in Cuba to Oust Castro and Díaz-Canel

Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara expressed his support this Saturday for a "surgical intervention" in Cuba, but with one condition: it must aim to remove those he holds responsible for the dictatorship.

In an interview with Tania Costa aired by CiberCuba, Otero Alcántara—who arrived in Miami on July 19 after being expelled from the island in what he described as a "forced exile"—made his stance clear: "They might talk about a surgical intervention, about any situation of that sort, and if a surgical intervention is what solves the real issue, it should be to remove the Castros in power, the Castros and Canel."

The founder of the San Isidro Movement admitted he is unsure who exactly should be removed but mentioned several individuals: "We have the cliché about the Castros and Canel, and maybe there is a third or another surname. That, Marrero Cruz, I don't know, Pérez García."

He was clear about his criteria for who should be ousted: "Someone has to be taken out, someone who is there and lacks empathy with the Cuban people and is entrenched. That's who needs to be removed."

Otero Alcántara ruled out a "Venezuelan-style transition" for Cuba, arguing that the two countries have incomparable realities: "Venezuela has a different economic and political history than ours. We have had nearly 70 years of dictatorship."

Instead, he advocated for a gradual transition with international backing—from the United States and Europe—that would allow Cubans to start from scratch: "Bring in the Europeans, have a transition so we can take steps, learning what democracy is, and of course, establishing institutions that transcend individuals."

His greatest fear is not the dictatorship itself but what might follow: a new charismatic leader filling the power vacuum and repeating the cycle. "What scares me the most is that we might follow a leader who turns into another tyrant, another Fidel Castro," he warned.

The activist vividly described this potential scenario: "What I don't want is for there to be another Fidel Castro, for people to fall in love, because they will come out of the dictatorship. They will get a little chicken, oil, electricity, whatever. And they will thank that person like a god. That person could become delusional, seize power, and entrench us for another 70 years. No, no, no."

These statements come amid growing debates on potential interventions in Cuba within the opposition and the diaspora. A May 2026 survey revealed that 60.9% of over 42,000 responses supported direct U.S. military intervention on the island.

Otero Alcántara was removed from Guanajay prison on July 7, 2026, just days before his five-year sentence was formally up, without notifying his family or lawyers. Amnesty International denounced his forced disappearance on July 10, demanding his immediate release.

His fellow San Isidro Movement member, Maykel Osorbo, remains imprisoned in Cuba with a nine-year sentence extending until 2030. In July 2026, he was transferred to the same Guanajay prison where Otero Alcántara was held, and the United States approved humanitarian parole for him while the Cuban regime keeps him incarcerated.