Cuban artist and former political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara recently expressed in an interview with Fox News that many Cubans on the island are eagerly awaiting the fall of the regime, hoping for foreign powers to step in and facilitate this change. His statements come at a time when Washington is intensifying its pressure on Havana.
"Cubans are waiting for the dictatorship to collapse at any moment, for intervention, for foreign powers to help us," said Otero Alcántara. He was marking his first month of freedom in the United States when the interview was published on August 19th.
As a co-founder of the San Isidro Movement, Otero Alcántara was arrested on July 11, 2021, the same day as the historic 11J protests, and spent five years in Cuban prisons on charges of contempt, public disorder, and insulting national symbols. Before this, he claims to have been detained about 90 times in less than three years for using his art as a form of protest against the regime.
He was released on July 18, 2026, after being granted an individual humanitarian parole, arriving in Miami that same day under a condition of permanent exile imposed by the Cuban regime.
Cuba's Dire Situation
Otero Alcántara painted a grim picture of the current conditions in Cuba, stating, "Right now in Cuba, there is literally a genocide happening against the Cuban people because the dictatorship refuses to budge from power." He described children drinking polluted water from makeshift wells and daily deaths due to a lack of medicine and electricity.
He dismissed the official narrative that U.S. sanctions are to blame for the crisis. "Today, Cubans literally blame the dictatorship for the problems in Cuba, not the sanctions," he pointed out, adding that "the people just want this to end because literally, the Cuban people are dying."
Support for Foreign Intervention
His remarks align with independent survey results. A digital consultation in May 2026, with 42,263 valid responses — 58% geolocated from Cuba — found that 60.9% supported direct U.S. military intervention, and 64.9% favored overthrowing the government "by any means necessary, including armed action."
A Bendixen & Amandi International poll from April 2026 of 800 Cubans and Cuban-Americans in South Florida showed that 79% supported some form of military intervention.
Debunking the Fear of Military Intervention
The former political prisoner addressed the historical fear of military intervention, arguing that the example of Venezuela disproves it. "People are afraid because the regime has built this doubt over 60 years that a military intervention would mean bombs falling from west to east, but we already know from Venezuela's experience that it's not like that," he stated, referencing the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January 2026.
The Plight of Political Prisoners
Regarding political prisoners, Otero Alcántara emphasized that repression now targets not only seasoned activists. "Today, those imprisoned are children, youths without political training, young people who took to the streets, women who took to the streets to demand their rights," he said. The organization Prisoners Defenders documented a record 1,327 political prisoners in Cuba as of the end of July 2026.
The artist's statements come as the Trump administration has imposed over 240 sanctions against Cuba since January 2026, including two executive orders and measures targeting entities like CUPET, GAESA, and the MINFAR.
"If they hadn't let me leave with those works, I would have literally died in Cuban prisons," Otero Alcántara remarked about the art he created during his incarceration, recently exhibited in Miami as a testament to those still imprisoned.
Understanding the Cuban Crisis and Calls for Intervention
Why are Cubans hoping for foreign intervention?
Many Cubans believe that foreign intervention could help topple the oppressive regime and bring about change in the country. They see it as a way to end the suffering caused by the current dictatorship.
What has been the impact of U.S. sanctions on Cuba?
While the Cuban government blames U.S. sanctions for the country's problems, Otero Alcántara argues that the dictatorship itself is the root cause. Sanctions are seen by the regime as an external factor, but the internal governance issues are central to the crisis.
How has the international community reacted to the situation in Cuba?
The international community has shown concern over the human rights abuses and political repression in Cuba. However, concrete actions, such as military intervention, remain a complex and controversial subject.