Havana/The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, held a meeting this Wednesday in Washington with the Cuban opposition leader Jose Daniel Ferrerwho came into exile on October 13 after his forced departure from the Island. Through a statement Officially, State Department Senior Deputy Spokesman Tommy Pigott noted that
“Rubio expressed his admiration for Ferrer’s bravery and resilience in the face of the oppression of the Cuban regime.”
According to the text, the secretary and the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu) spoke about the situation in the east of the country after the passage of the Hurricane Melissawhich left behind a trail of destruction and poverty in provinces such as Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma and Guantánamo.
Ferrer, who was recently released from prison and forced to leave the country After years of prison and harassment, he insisted on the need for humanitarian aid from Washington to reach directly “into the hands of the people” and not be channeled through the regime. In his conversation with Rubio, he highlighted the role of the Catholic Church as a reliable means of distributing assistance, amid the collapse of the state social care system.
He described the Secretary of State as a man “very intelligent and very well informed about everything that happens in Cuba.”
“The United States is committed to supporting the Cuban people in their search for democracy, prosperity and fundamental freedoms,” reiterated Rubio, who described the work of Ferrer and other dissidents as “fundamental for the pro-democracy movement on the Island.”
The Secretary of State, who took office at the beginning of the year as part of the Republican Administration, also published a message in your X account: “We are glad that he has been freed from repression, and the United States continues to support Ferrer and all Cubans who fight for freedom and justice.” The message was accompanied by two photographs of the meeting at the State Department building and has received tens of thousands of views.
In a video spread on social networks, Ferrer thanked Rubio and his team for their solidarity with the Cubans affected by Hurricane Melissa. He described the Secretary of State as a man “very intelligent and very well informed about everything that happens in Cuba.”
On this Wednesday afternoon, the leader of Unpacu will receive the Freedom Award, presented by the International Republican Institute (IRI). Ferrer, 55, said he will receive the award on behalf of all those who suffer imprisonment in tyrannical regimes.
The meeting with Ferrer occurs while the State Department reinforces its criticism of the island’s regime and increases pressure on its main allies in the region. Rubio, a politician of Cuban descent and firm critic of Castroism, has reiterated that his administration will not resume cooperation channels with Havana as long as repression continues and there is no concrete progress towards political opening.
