The opponent insists that “the peaceful way remains the most valid action”, but quotes Saint Augustine: “When the enemy tries to slaughter you you have the right to self-defense”
14ymedio, Miami/Madrid, October 13, 2025 — With “mixed feelings,” joy at being able to arrive in the United States with his family and grief for the remaining political prisoners in Cuba, opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer appeared before the press a few hours after landing at Miami airport on Monday. “Cuba’s prisons are hell, Dante in his Divine Comedy does not describe a hell like the Cuban prisons,” said Ferrer at the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), after mentioning political prisoners including Félix Navarro, Sayli Navarro and Lizandra Góngora, who are still serving time on the Island.
“I never thought of leaving Cuba. Of course, I didn’t think the dictatorship would last until 2025 either,” said the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). Accompanied by his brother, Luis Enrique, his wife, Nelva Ortega, and three of the children who also made the trip -Daniel José, Fátima Victoria and Ana Laura- in addition to her mother, Yusmila Reyna. Ferrer appeared with a Cuban flag on his shoulders and promised to return “as soon as possible” to “put an end to the dictatorship.”
“My intention upon coming here is to continue making my modest contribution in the search for the greatest unity and effectiveness” in the fight against the regime, he explained, stating that “we must put the screws to them inside and outside of Cuba.” He explicitly stated his desire to return several times during his speech, alluding to the “heroes of the homeland,” such as José Martí and Antonio Maceo, who “left but returned.”
“My intention upon coming here is to continue making my modest contribution in the search for the greatest unity and effectiveness”
The opponent also took advantage of the event to congratulate María Corina Machado for having received the Nobel Peace Prize, something that, he said, “has caused suffering to the communists of Venezuela and Cuba. If there is a dictatorship in Caracas it’s because in Havana there is a dictatorship that gives it support,” he recalled.
Asked about the details of his departure, Ferrer said that it was not until yesterday, Sunday, that a prison officer arrived in his cell “very affectionate, laughing” to tell him that “everything is ready for the departure.” As he had denounced in the letter in which he made public his consent to go into exile, the regime had delayed the process because it intended that the opponent serve as an intermediary with the US administration and the Vatican to achieve “things they want.”
Since his letter came out, the authorities have kept the whole family in limbo. According to both José Daniel Ferrer and Nelva Ortega, this uncertainty remained until the moment they met, already on the plane that brought them from Santiago de Cuba. On the one hand, Ferrer doubted if they would take him out but leave his family on the island, and she, on the other hand, that they would get out and he would stay in jail.
Before the media, Ferrer thanked the US ambassador to Cuba, Mike Hammer, who called him before leaving the island; Secretary of state, Marco Rubio; President Donald Trump; and the US administration for having helped his release. “We need the greatest possible support so that before this administration ends we put an end to the dictatorship,” he said.
“José Daniel Ferrer is a free man, and saving himself has been his commitment to continue fighting against that tyranny,” said Rosa María Payá
As Luis Enrique Ferrer had said in the morning, two officials of the State Department arrived in Santiago de Cuba a week ago and warned the regime that they would not return to the US if it was not with Ferrer and his family.
“We are going to take them down; I do not hold a grudge against them, but we must take them down,” said the opponent, who predicted, “These are the last days of the tyranny.” And he sends a message to the Cuban people: “The struggle continues, with redoubled efforts, inside and outside Cuba.”
Asked by the media, Nelva Ortega was moved to remember family members, friends and “social cases,” the unprotected, who remain in Cuba. “It hurts so much to see that, but as my husband says, we’ll be back.” She also said that it was State Security which escorted them, woodenly, to the airport, and even threatened to not let them out if they requested transportation on their own. “It’s an extremely difficult situation, because you can think about leaving but not like this.”
“Is the peaceful way opened by Oswaldo Payá canceled?” a journalist asked Ferrer. “The peaceful way is not the one that has failed, it is we Cubans who have not been able to exploit it in all aspects,” replied Ferrer. For him, it “is still the most valid action” but without overlooking, quoting Saint Augustine, that “when the enemy tries to slaughter you you have the right to self-defense.”
Rosa María Payá, the leader of Cuba Decide and member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, also present at the event, assured that Ferrer’s “will be a short exile.” Similarly, she warned: “The regime is lying, has lied before and will continue to lie. José Daniel Ferrer is a free man, and saving himself has been his commitment to be able to continue fighting against that tyranny.” She added: “He is a hero of all Cubans.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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