In a recent interview with Tania Costa, former political prisoner and Cuban writer Ariel Hidalgo expressed his belief that a protest involving a million people on the streets of Cuba could effectively bring down the regime. He urged the population to initiate a peaceful transformation akin to the movement that dismantled communism in Poland.
"What I hope for is that the citizens, the people, carry out a new July 11th in the most peaceful way possible," said Hidalgo, who served an eight-year sentence for authoring a critical manuscript against the Cuban dictatorship.
He elaborated on his vision by stating, "If I could have my way, it would be for a million people to take to the streets... no regime could withstand that."
Now residing in Miami, the intellectual cited the Polish Solidarity movement to bolster his argument: "The Poles did it: a million people took to the streets, and the communist regime collapsed." However, he noted that the Poles couldn't seize power directly because "Russian troops were stationed at the borders back in 1981."
Hidalgo drew parallels with the July 11, 2021, protests in Cuba, the most significant since the Maleconazo of 1994, to emphasize that a new protest would be on a much larger scale: "In Cuba, if people take to the streets, it won't just be the thousands who came out on July 11; it will be hundreds of thousands."
The former political prisoner acknowledged the deep despair plaguing the Cuban populace, admitting that many are willing to accept any solution, even foreign military intervention: "Right now, the desperation among the Cuban people is so severe that they would prefer anything. If the Marines were to enter Cuba, despite any destruction, they would choose that because the situation is so dire."
While understanding this sentiment, Hidalgo clearly opposed such a path: "I hope for that and not a military intervention."
Hidalgo identified extreme poverty as the main barrier to a large-scale protest at this time: "There are so many hardships in the streets that people, especially parents, focus more on finding food for their children than on protesting." Nevertheless, he emphasized that resistance persists: "And yet, people are still coming out."
He also mentioned maintaining support networks within the island: "We have a group of people sending aid to those inside Cuba."
A co-founder of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights—considered the first human rights organization to emerge within Cuba—Hidalgo was sentenced in 1981 to eight years in prison for his manuscript "Cuba, the Marxist State, and the New Class," which denounced the formation of a new privileged bureaucratic class within the communist system. The sentence ordered his works to be destroyed "by fire." He was released in 1988 following an international campaign and subsequently emigrated to the United States.
Hidalgo's vision for Cuba is encapsulated in a single phrase: "What I wish for is that the citizens, the people, carry out a new July 11th, but in the most peaceful way possible."
Insights on Ariel Hidalgo's Call for Peaceful Change in Cuba
What is Ariel Hidalgo advocating for in Cuba?
Ariel Hidalgo is advocating for a massive, peaceful protest involving a million people to overthrow the current Cuban regime.
Why does Hidalgo reference the Polish Solidarity movement?
Hidalgo references the Polish Solidarity movement to illustrate how a large-scale, peaceful protest can lead to the collapse of a communist regime, as it did in Poland.
What are the major obstacles to a mass protest in Cuba, according to Hidalgo?
According to Hidalgo, extreme poverty and the need for daily survival are significant obstacles preventing people from participating in mass protests.