Leydis Aguilera, the first Cuban-born legislator in the Uruguayan Parliament, delivered a nuanced yet firm response when asked about her stance on potential military intervention in Cuba. During an interview with CiberCuba, she expressed her opposition to any form of intervention while sharply criticizing the international community's longstanding inaction against Cuba's regime.
“No one would want their country to be intervened. No one would welcome military, political, or social intervention, nor even economic interference under the guise of self-determination,” stated the National Party legislator in a conversation with Tania Costa for the program Transición Cuba.
Aguilera did not stop there. She immediately questioned what international organizations, countries, and public opinion have done while the Cuban people “crumble” under 67 years of dictatorship. She added, "certain actions are necessary for progress to occur."
The legislator cited over 1,200 political prisoners, millions of Cubans in exile, and the July 11, 2021 protests as evidence of the international community's collective failure.
“Those Cubans on the streets (on July 11), in sandals, shorts, and T-shirts, what were they asking for? They weren’t chanting against the embargo, nor were they shouting as we were indoctrinated to say, ‘Long live Fidel.’ They were demanding freedom,” Aguilera declared.
She highlighted specific instances of recent repression: in March, the National Revolutionary Police shot a 15-year-old and subsequently imprisoned him.
Aguilera also mentioned Jonathan Muir Burgos, a 16-year-old detained in Morón after March protests and held in Canaleta prison—a facility for adults—virtually cut off from his family.
The legislator shared how a contact on the island sent her an online form advocating for Cuba’s annexation to the United States, stating, “Leydis, I don’t care anymore. I can’t endure this. I want these people gone. No more misery, no more deaths, no more separations.”
Aguilera responded emphatically: “Not annexation, freedom. Cubans want freedom.”
Regarding the role of the diaspora, she dismissed the accusation of “fighting from comfort” and warned that the dictatorship also retaliates against those who speak out from abroad and their families on the island.
When questioned on whether Uruguay should expel Cuban diplomats—as Ecuador and Costa Rica have done—she clarified that she cannot speak for the ruling Frente Amplio government, as she belongs to the opposition.
She did highlight that her leader, former President Luis Lacalle Pou, directly quoted the song “Patria y Vida” to Díaz-Canel at the CELAC summit in 2021, publicly condemning the governments of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Aguilera urged the Uruguayan government to abandon what she termed its “moral hemiplegia.”
“There are dictatorships that are condemned and punished, and there are others that are not, and (Uruguay’s) is a government that claims to defend human rights,” Aguilera remarked, questioning why the Frente Amplio “attempts to defend the indefensible in Cuba’s case.”
She also denounced the Cuban medical mission in Uruguay, pointing out that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has labeled it with indications of human trafficking and forced labor, violating international labor agreements.
Aguilera, who took her seat in Parliament on March 11, 2026, becoming the first Cuban-origin legislator in Uruguay's parliamentary history, concluded with a statement summarizing her stance: “The world has turned its back on Cuba. And that is a fact.”
International Response to Cuba's Human Rights Issues
What is Leydis Aguilera's position on foreign intervention in Cuba?
Leydis Aguilera opposes any form of intervention in Cuba, whether military, political, or social. She emphasizes the importance of non-intervention while criticizing the international community's passivity over decades.
How does Aguilera view the international community's role concerning Cuba?
Aguilera criticizes the international community for its inaction over the years, highlighting its failure to address the ongoing human rights violations and the dictatorship's impact on Cuban citizens.
What evidence does Aguilera present to support her criticism?
Aguilera cites more than 1,200 political prisoners, the exile of millions of Cubans, and the protests of July 11, 2021, as clear indications of the international community's failure to act against Cuba's regime.