President Trump: The Cuban People Hear You
President Trump has now put the possible fall of the Cuban regime squarely on the table, warning that its end may come through a friendly takeover or an unfriendly one.
Videos circulating on social media in recent days show Cubans across the island taking to the streets at night, banging pots and pans in protest of the regime. The message in many of these videos is unmistakable: the Cuban people are demanding “Liberty!”, “Down with the dictatorship!”, and “Viva Donald Trump!”
“The Cuban people are showing remarkable courage,” said FHRC President Tony Costa. “That courage must now be matched by principled leadership to help end a dictatorship that has spent more than six decades perfecting repression. The United States must ensure that any engagement with Havana begins with concrete steps toward freedom for the Cuban people.”
Any negotiation with the Cuban regime, therefore, must begin with firm, non-negotiable preconditions that initiate irreversible political and structural change before any serious engagement takes place.
These preconditions should include:
- The unconditional release of all political prisoners within 72 hours, subject to independent verification.
- End political repression and dismantle the regime’s repressive apparatus, including the Ministry of the Interior, the Rapid Response Brigades, the CDRs, and the senior leadership of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
- Retain the National Revolutionary Police only as a basic public order force under new leadership and international vetting and training.
- Facilitate humanitarian assistance through independent, internationally supervised channels.
- Repeal all laws criminalizing free speech, free assembly, and peaceful dissent, and end state control over internet access, censorship, and blackouts.
“These are fundamental rights of all people. They are not bargaining chips, and the regime must begin by respecting them” Costa said. Only then should the Trump administration consider any form of engagement with the Castro regime.”