The head of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer, recently met with opposition figure Manuel Cuesta Morúa, just days after Morúa sparked controversy by publicly questioning Washington's pressure strategy towards the Cuban regime.
This meeting was confirmed on Friday by the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, which shared a photo of the gathering, emphasizing that both parties discussed the country's situation and agreed on the demand for the release of political prisoners.
"Our Chief of Mission Mike Hammer met with Manuel Cuesta Morúa... They discussed the situation in the country and united in their call for the release of the #11J youths," the Embassy stated in a message shared on social media.
In the same post, the U.S. mission reiterated its stance on repression in Cuba: "Freedom of expression must be respected, and all political prisoners should be released."
The meeting occurs during a particularly sensitive time, following Cuesta Morúa's recent election as president of the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba (CDTC). In an interview with EFE, Morúa expressed that "strangling Cuba" only strengthens repression, referencing the strategy to limit the regime's access to oil and fuels.
According to the opposition leader, triggering a social upheaval through an energy collapse would not lead to a democratic transition but rather strengthen the state's repressive machinery.
"Provoking an upheaval only reinforces the state's repressive machinery," he warned, further stating that this approach could drive the country into an even deeper humanitarian crisis.
His remarks did not go unnoticed. Within hours, opposition figures responded sharply. Among them, UNPACU leader José Daniel Ferrer rejected the notion that the U.S.'s maximum pressure policy, promoted by the Trump administration, equates to "strangling" the Cuban people.
"The U.S. maximum pressure policy does not strangle Cuba as Cuesta Morúa claims. It pressures the tyranny," Ferrer asserted, arguing that the regime represses more vigorously when it believes there are no consequences.
The opposition leader also reminded that during the rapprochement led by Barack Obama, repression increased, and he believes that international pressure is the only real deterrent to state violence against citizens.
Insights on U.S.-Cuba Relations and Opposition Views
Why did Mike Hammer meet with Manuel Cuesta Morúa?
Mike Hammer met with Manuel Cuesta Morúa to discuss the current situation in Cuba and to unite in their demand for the release of political prisoners.
What was Cuesta Morúa's criticism of the U.S. strategy on Cuba?
Cuesta Morúa criticized the U.S. strategy of limiting the Cuban regime's access to resources, arguing that it strengthens repression and could lead to a humanitarian crisis without achieving democratic transition.
How did other opposition figures react to Cuesta Morúa's statements?
Figures like José Daniel Ferrer opposed Cuesta Morúa's statements, defending the U.S. maximum pressure policy as a necessary measure to challenge the regime's repression.