Today, we met with a delegation of Cuban human rights defenders representing Cuba Decide, Democracia y Libertad, and the Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos. The delegation—composed of prominent activists Rosa María Payá Acevedo, Yaxys Dallan Cires, Alejandro Sebastian Cajas Gonzalez, Lourdes Maria Argueta Vides, and Colette Rodriguez Marcano—briefed us on the escalating crisis on the island and presented a strategic roadmap for a peaceful democratic transition called the “Liberation Agreement”.
This landmark document is backed by a broad coalition of political organizations, grassroots movements, and civic associations both inside Cuba and across the diaspora. The testimonies shared by the delegates paint a devastating picture. For over two years, the Cuban people have been enduring a severe humanitarian catastrophe characterized by constant blackouts paralyzing daily life; acute shortages of food, clean water, and essential medicines; mass migration. In just a few years, Cuba’s population has shrunk by approximately 3 million people—a stark indicator of the desperation driving families to flee.
Despite facing a brutal state repression, citizens are taking to the streets. Their demands are clear: an end to the decades-long Castro regime, the immediate release of all political prisoners, and the right to choose their own future through free and fair democratic elections. The desperation caused by this humanitarian crisis has opened a critical window of opportunity. To achieve a real democratic alternative, robust and coordinated international pressure—especially from Europe—is more urgent than ever.
The crisis in Cuba is not an isolated issue; it has global implications that directly affect democratic stability.
The delegation highlighted several alarming trends. Military Recruitment: Cuba currently ranks as the top country for foreign nationals recruited into the Russian army to fight in the war against Ukraine.
The Disinformation Network: the regime serves as a hub for Russian propaganda in European capitals. Channels like Cubavisión International rebroadcast content directly from Russia Today. This state-sponsored disinformation campaign is amplified across the Spanish-speaking world by Caracas-based Telesur and the Iranian state channel HispanTV.
The Liberation Agreement is a vital tool for political mobilization. It serves as a rallying cry for citizens on the island and the global diaspora in the United States and Europe to walk the “last mile” in the fight for liberation from a 67-year-old Marxist-Leninist dictatorship. As an organization dedicated to human rights and democratic values, we will bring these urgent testimonies to parliamentary attention. We stand in solidarity with the Cuban people in their peaceful quest for freedom, dignity, and self-determination.
Giulio Terzi
Matteo Angioli