Rosa María Payá calls for democratic transition in Cuba following events in Venezuela

February 2, 2026

Hours after Maduro's fall, recognized Cuban opposition figures declared that "Cuba's time has come." In a video released on January 4, 2026, activist Rosa María Payá, coordinator of the Cuba Decide platform, along with exile leaders such as Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat and influencers like Alexander Otaola, called for a "national mobilization" for political change on the Island. "Just as the Venezuelan people chose a democratic transitional government, we Cubans are ready to reclaim our sovereignty," they proclaimed in their message. Payá and her colleagues affirmed that the path toward Cuban democracy is "irreversible" and that there exists a transition and national reconstruction plan based on social justice and human rights. "The night will not be eternal," reads the manifesto, urging Cubans inside and outside the country—young and old—to unite for change, while also calling on the international community to support Cuba's right to live in freedom. This statement raised expectations in exile sectors, who interpret U.S. intervention in Venezuela as a possible turning point to end more than six decades of communist rule in Cuba.