José Daniel Ferrer Addresses European Parliament, Highlights "Worst Modern Crisis" in Cuba

On Tuesday, Cuban dissident and former political prisoner José Daniel Ferrer addressed a joint session of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Human Rights. His aim was to spotlight the severe crisis in Cuba and call for a stronger international stance against the Havana regime.

Ferrer’s appearance was part of a European tour that started last Saturday in Madrid. Over the course of about a month, he plans to visit more than ten countries to rally support for his cause.

Gratitude and Urgency

Before the parliamentarians, Ferrer began by expressing his gratitude: "Without your solidarity, surviving the communist regime’s jails would have been nearly impossible."

The leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) was unequivocal in his assessment: "Cuba is enduring the worst crisis in its modern history. We remain under a strict dictatorship that denies Cubans universally recognized rights."

Brutal Repression Exposed

Ferrer accused the single-party regime of brutally repressing and imprisoning those who protest against oppression, severe poverty, energy crises, food shortages, healthcare deficiencies, transportation issues, housing problems, and other significant challenges affecting the Cuban populace daily.

Part of his speech focused on the dire conditions within Cuban prisons, where he claimed political prisoners and numerous common inmates suffer from "extreme hunger, severe malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, parasitism, infectious diseases, lack of adequate medical care, medicine shortages, lack of potable water, beatings, physical and psychological torture, and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment."

A Gripping Example

He highlighted the case of Alexander Díaz Rodríguez, a political prisoner from July 11th protests who was released on April 12 after serving his full sentence. "He emerged from a communist jail much like survivors from Nazi Germany concentration camps—skin and bones," Ferrer remarked.

Díaz Rodríguez, from Cárdenas, Matanzas, lost between 55 and 110 pounds during his incarceration in Kilo 5 and a half prison in Pinar del Río. While imprisoned, he faced untreated thyroid cancer, hepatitis B, and severe anemia.

His plight gained international attention when Republican Senator Rick Scott presented his photos in the U.S. Senate on April 29 during a debate about Cuba.

Call for Action

In his address, Ferrer urged the European Union to terminate the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba and to enforce sanctions under the European Magnitsky Act against those responsible for human rights abuses on the island.

Prior to his public address, Ferrer met with several MEPs in Brussels to discuss the situation in Cuba and garner support for the "Cuban Liberation Agreement," a three-phase democratic transition plan signed on March 2 in Miami by over 30 exile organizations.

Ferrer was expelled from Cuba in October 2025 alongside his wife and children following months of hunger strikes in prison to protest torture and inhumane conditions. Amnesty International had declared him a prisoner of conscience who suffered torture during his last imprisonment.

Following Brussels, Ferrer plans to visit Poland, Sweden, and other European nations to establish a network of international pressure that, as he stated before the Eurochamber, supports "a coalition of nations at the forefront of global human rights advocacy."