LIMA, Peru – The head of the United States diplomatic mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, received the Humanitarian Award from the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) last Saturday during the organization’s annual gala held in Miami.
In his speechHammer expressed confidence in a political change on the Island and affirmed that the Cuban people “will move forward and recreate that pearl of the Caribbean that should always be,” while maintaining that “by 2026, Cuba will be free.”
The diplomat dedicated the recognition to “ordinary Cubans”, to dissidents, political prisoners and their families, the independent press, activists who fight for human rights and “those brave priests” who speak out for changes.
Likewise, Hammer indicated that he will continue his tours through different Cuban provinces to meet with citizens, despite to acts of repudiation orchestrated by the dictatorship and official warnings towards those who have meetings with him.
“Not one person canceled an appointment with me; on the contrary, they asked me to upload the photos, to tell the world what they are experiencing,” he highlighted.
In recent weeks, Hammer has held meetings with members of exile in Miami, Madrid and Rome, where he also met with representatives of the Holy See. During an event in the Spanish capital, he assured that his mission is to listen to the aspirations of Cubans about the future of the country and support the right to decide their political system and their leaders.
«People are no longer just talking about how change could happen. “People say change is going to happen,” he said.
In a recent interview for ABC, the diplomatic chief described the current situation as a “historic opportunity” after more than six decades of communist government and the weakening of the external support that Havana received for years, first from the Soviet Union and later from Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and his successor Maduro.
Although he did not set deadlines, the US official stressed that Cuba continues to be a strategic priority for Washington due to its geographical proximity and in terms of defending national security, reiterating that the pressure will continue until the Cuban regime undertakes profound reforms.
“I am not going to go into details about which people or which individuals or who is going to effect or allow this change, but we see it coming, it is approaching (…) People are already asking me: “When?” Not if it will happen, but when the change comes. “The perspective of the population and also at the international level has already changed.”
Hammer also suggested that 2026 could be a decisive year for the Island. “I would say yes, there is going to be a change. In what way? We’ll see,” he declared, attributing this scenario to what he described as an unprecedented approach towards Latin America by the Donald Trump Administration.
