To You, the Daring Reader,

Cubans are suffering an unprecedented crisis that can not go on. 

The purpose of this petition is to establish the simple and powerful fact that a large majority of people globally want the Cuban government to step down. Cubans face immense difficulties in speaking out due to constant surveillance, stalking and totalitarian oppression by their government. Activists in exile are blackmailed through their relatives and are threatened to lose their passport. This pervasive fear stifles their vulnerable voices and makes it nearly impossible for them to demand change. There is a deep desire for fundamental changes to the economy and governance: 

 

 

 

 

A Heartbreaking Reality
Cubans are currently facing a worsening crisis that has left them in a brutal downward spiral:

• Electricity and Blackouts Daily life is marred by power outages lasting up to 18 hours, plunging families into darkness and making essential activities nearly impossible. The hot and humid nights are stifling without fans or air conditioning, and the lack of reliable power disrupts every aspect of life. Even basic cell phone service is becoming less accessible every day.
• Waste Management With waste removal services disappearing, heaps of uncollected garbage pile up in the streets. This creates unsanitary living conditions, spreading pests, increasing the risk of disease and making everyday life a battle against filth and decay. Rats roam the streets and many deserted buildings.
• Healthcare Collapse The healthcare system is disappearing, with severe shortages of medicines and basic medical supplies. Hospitals lack the bare essentials, and many women are forced to give birth without adequate medical support, a symptom of a general, severe public health crisis. Over the past few years, 31,308 healthcare workers have left their posts, exacerbating the shortage of medical professionals and causing significant disruptions in even the smallest healthcare delivery.
• Economic Hardship and Silent Starvation Rampant inflation has made even the most basic food items unaffordable for many. The pinnacle of past socialist promises, the food rationing system, is providing less and less food every month to those most in need. The local currency devalues so rapidly that finding cash itself is becoming a problem. Silent starvation is expanding in the shadows, as families struggle to find enough to eat each day.
• Human Rights Violations The government continues to oppress its citizens, silencing dissent and incarcerating those who dare to speak out against the regime in any form.

Widespread Discontent and Emigration
The dire living conditions and political repression have driven record numbers of Cubans to emigrate in search of a better life. Between October 2022 and July 2023 alone, over 533,000 Cubans arrived in the United States alone, a figure equivalent to 4.8% of Cuba's population. This represents the largest number of Cuban migrants ever recorded in two consecutive years since the beginning of the post-revolutionary Cuban exodus in 1959. Tens of thousands of Cubans have also sought refuge in Europe and Latin America. It seems the Cuban government skipped its 2022 census to hide the problem.

Mismanagement and Lack of Accountability
The Cuban government's mismanagement has been the most significant factor in the country's ongoing crisis. While the government frequently blames the US embargo for the nation's woes, the reality is that internal inefficiencies and corruption have played a crucial role in exacerbating the situation. Cubans call it the internal embargo. The economic model in Cuba, which relies heavily on state control and central planning, has proven to be unsustainable and ineffective. The lack of accountability and transparency within the government has led to widespread corruption.  The military owned shadow economy feeds itself on dollar tourism while the majority of people is excluded from these resources, contradicting the once progressive image of decolonization that the Cuban government projected.

Our Demand
After over 60 years of broken promises, we demand that the Cuban government step down to allow for a peaceful transition to a government that respects human rights, upholds democratic principles, and allows Cubans to look into a future finally again.

#SOSCuba #FreeCuba #CubaLibre #StandWithCuba #SoyCubano #PatriaYVida #CubaDuele #LibertadParaCuba #CubaDespierta #NoMasDictadura