State Senator Alexis Calatayud, representing Florida's 38th District, has issued an official proclamation acknowledging the "Freedom Accord" as the pathway towards a free and democratic Cuba.
This document, embossed on parchment with the official gold seal of the Florida Senate and signed by Calatayud, marks the first formal legislative endorsement by a state-elected official for the transition plan signed in Miami on March 2 by over 30 Cuban exile organizations.
The proclamation highlights the Cuban people's endurance under more than six decades of a communist dictatorship, a regime marked by oppression, lack of political freedoms, economic hardships, and human rights violations.
The text further acknowledges that the Freedom Accord was developed by Cuban democratic opposition leaders, civil society, and pro-democracy movements, providing a comprehensive framework for governance after the current regime's end.
Key pillars emphasized in the proclamation include the immediate restoration of civil liberties, the release of political prisoners, the establishment of a provisional government, and the organization of internationally supervised free elections.
Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, Secretary-General of the Cuban Resistance Assembly (ARC), shared the news from the Florida legislative chamber, expressing gratitude for the recognition alongside other movement members.
The Freedom Accord, signed by the ARC and the coalition Steps of Change—led by Rosa María Payá—proposes a three-phase roadmap: liberation, stabilization, and democratization of Cuba, with the creation of nine technical work commissions.
This proclamation comes during a time of increased activism among the Cuban exile community in Florida, highlighted by the Free Cuba Rally held in Hialeah on March 24 and the "United for a Free Cuba" demonstration at Bayfront Park this past Sunday.
This mobilization occurs alongside the Cuban regime's rejection of the United States' ultimatum to release high-profile political prisoners, following which Cuban ambassador to the UN, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, stated that "internal matters regarding detainees are not on the negotiation table."
Calatayud, a 30-year-old of Cuban descent, represents the 38th District in southern Miami-Dade, one of the state's areas with the highest Cuban American population, including Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and parts of Coral Gables.
Rosa María Payá, also a commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, called for unity with the United States to achieve Cuba's freedom, encapsulating the spirit of the accord with these words: "We are in this together. We are one nation inside and outside the island, and we are acting as such. Freedom is coming, change is coming, but it depends on each of us how quickly it arrives."
Cuban Liberation Efforts and the Freedom Accord
What is the "Freedom Accord"?
The "Freedom Accord" is a plan developed by Cuban democratic opposition leaders, civil society, and pro-democracy movements to provide a framework for governance in Cuba after the end of the current regime.
Who is Alexis Calatayud?
Alexis Calatayud is a state senator representing Florida's 38th District. She has issued an official proclamation recognizing the "Freedom Accord" as a path towards a free and democratic Cuba.
What are the key components of the "Freedom Accord"?
The key components include the immediate restoration of civil liberties, the release of political prisoners, the establishment of a provisional government, and the organization of internationally supervised free elections.
Why is the proclamation significant?
The proclamation is significant because it represents the first formal legislative endorsement by a state-elected official in Florida supporting the "Freedom Accord" and the transition plan for a democratic Cuba.