In the latest installment of his radio show "Shared Criteria," Miguel Díaz-Canel took the opportunity to vilify Cuban political exiles who had recently exposed the regime's oppressive tactics to international delegates at the United Nations. He labeled them as "convicted criminals" and "terrorists" during Wednesday's broadcast on Radio Rebelde.
Journalist Bárbara Betancourt set the stage, stating she did not want to overlook the upcoming UN vote on the embargo. Following her introduction, Díaz-Canel embarked on a scripted tirade, reading almost verbatim from prepared notes, undermining the supposedly spontaneous, grassroots nature of the program.
The target of his criticism was the "Free Cuba: The Oppression Havana Hides" forum, held on October 19 by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz at the UN, which included participation from José Daniel Ferrer, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, and Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, among others. Díaz-Canel derided it as "a clandestine meeting with a panel funded by the State Department, consisting of convicted criminals or those linked to terrorist organizations."
The irony of his stance cannot be ignored: the so-called "convicted criminals" were imprisoned by the very regime now using those sentences to discredit them. Ferrer, founder of UNPACU, was released and exiled to Miami in October 2025 after over four years in prison; Otero Alcántara served a five-year sentence for "insulting national symbols" and was expelled from Cuba in July 2026.
In the case of Gutiérrez-Boronat, co-founder of the Democratic Directorate, Díaz-Canel branded him a "terrorist and swindler," offering as evidence merely the statement that "Chancellor Bruno has identified him as such" and his inclusion on "the national list of individuals linked to terrorism compiled by the Cuban government." This self-referential justification echoes language used by Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez on Tuesday, where he called Ferrer a "criminal" and Otero a "circus performer" during a press briefing.
Gutiérrez-Boronat firmly denied the accusations on Wednesday, stating, "I'm not a terrorist because I didn't come to power by planting bombs," and refuted claims of federal fund misappropriation, asserting that neither he nor the Directorate is under investigation by any U.S. federal agency. There is no public criminal charge to substantiate Díaz-Canel's assertions.
Otero Alcántara recounted the aggressive demonstration by Cuban diplomats at the UN on October 19—who shouted "terrorists" and "liars" at panelists—as a reflection of the repression he experienced in Cuba: "Imagine those people loose in Havana. Imagine them having the complete freedom to enter your home, even to attack you."
The backdrop to this verbal onslaught is the upcoming UN General Assembly vote on October 27 and 28 regarding the Cuban resolution against the embargo. In 2025, this resolution saw a historic decline, dropping from 187 votes in favor in 2024 to 165, with seven votes against and twelve abstentions. Díaz-Canel himself admitted in the program that "some will change their vote because they cower before U.S. pressure," a confession laying bare the vulnerability of Cuba's stance on the international stage.
Understanding the Context of Cuba's International Relations
Why did Díaz-Canel criticize Cuban political exiles?
Díaz-Canel criticized Cuban political exiles because they exposed the regime's oppressive actions to international delegates at the United Nations, challenging the narrative the regime wants to maintain.
What was the "Free Cuba: The Oppression Havana Hides" forum about?
The forum was organized to shed light on the Cuban regime's hidden oppression, featuring testimonies from individuals like José Daniel Ferrer and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara who have faced persecution.
How did the Cuban government react to the UN forum?
Cuban diplomats responded with a protest, shouting accusations of terrorism and lies at the panelists, mirroring the repressive tactics experienced by dissidents within Cuba.