José Daniel Ferrer, a name long synonymous with Cuba’s dissident movement, has found himself in a new chapter—one that unfolds far from the streets of Santiago de Cuba where his activism first took root. Earlier this month, Ferrer, accompanied by his family and U.S. officials, arrived in Miami after being exiled from Cuba, marking a significant shift for both the man and the broader opposition movement that once looked to him for leadership and inspiration.
Speaking to The Associated Press in Miami, Ferrer did not mince words about the challenges facing Cuba’s fractured opposition. “Being a prisoner turned me into a symbol of resistance,” Ferrer said, reflecting on the years he spent behind bars in Cuba. But now, he argues, the only way forward is to build a strategy from outside the island—a sentiment that underscores the dramatic changes wrought by a government crackdown that began in the wake of the mass anti-government protests of 2021.
Ferrer’s journey from prisoner to exile is emblematic of the broader exodus of civil society representatives, activists, and journalists from Cuba. According to the Associated Press, the government’s relentless repression has left the opposition weakened and scattered, with many of its most prominent voices forced to continue their struggle from afar. For Ferrer, this was not a choice made lightly. “Leaving the country was my only option,” he told the AP, explaining that remaining in Cuba had become increasingly dangerous not just for himself, but for his family as well. He recounted how authorities threatened to arrest his partner, intensifying the pressure that ultimately led to his departure.
Ferrer’s activism has never been without risk. As leader of a dissident movement in Santiago de Cuba, he has been in and out of prison for decades. Most recently, he was convicted of violating house arrest to protest during the 2021 demonstrations—charges he has consistently denied. While human rights groups and the U.S. government have described him as a political prisoner, the Cuban government has long maintained that it holds no political prisoners and has denied allegations of torture. Still, Ferrer’s account of his detention is harrowing. He told the AP that he was subjected to beatings and was force-fed rotten meat through a tube, acts he described as attempts by Cuban authorities to break his spirit and force him into exile.
“The only way to stay in contact with my activists scattered across the island ... the only way to help relieve people of their hunger and lack of resources so many people face is to leave the country,” Ferrer explained. “That’s how we can turn into a political force that’s actually effective.” It’s a stark admission from someone who once believed that his imprisonment made him a kind of martyr—a rallying point for opposition within Cuba. But as the government’s crackdown has intensified, Ferrer says it’s become harder and harder to organize on the island, and the risks for those who remain have only grown.
The crackdown Ferrer describes is not just anecdotal. In December 2024, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned what it called “growing repression in Cuba against opponents and dissidents,” citing a litany of abuses including internet shutdowns, house arrests, surveillance, detentions, fines, and interrogations. These tactics, the commission said, have had a chilling effect on civil society, making it nearly impossible for activists to operate openly or safely.
Ferrer also detailed the pressures he faced while in custody. According to his account, Cuban officials tried to coerce him into reaching out to the U.S. Embassy and the Catholic Church in hopes of striking a deal: the release of prisoners in exchange for an easing of U.S. sanctions. Ferrer refused, unwilling to be used as a bargaining chip in the decades-long geopolitical standoff between Havana and Washington. The Cuban government, for its part, did not respond to requests for comment about Ferrer’s allegations of torture or efforts to negotiate his release, but it did publicly acknowledge that Ferrer was released following a formal request by American authorities. The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, stated unequivocally that it did not negotiate with Cuba for Ferrer’s release, though it confirmed that his departure followed a formal request.
The broader context for Ferrer’s exile is a Cuba in crisis. The island nation remains locked in a bitter feud with the United States, a standoff that has only intensified in recent years. The Trump administration reinstated hardline policies toward Havana, toughening sanctions and reinstating a ban on American tourism. Critics argue that these measures have disproportionately hurt ordinary Cubans rather than the government itself, exacerbating the economic and energy crises that have roiled the country. For many in the opposition, the combination of internal repression and external pressure has left them with few good options.
Ferrer’s release and subsequent exile have not gone unnoticed in the halls of power in Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, himself the son of Cuban immigrants, publicly celebrated Ferrer’s freedom earlier this month and called on the Cuban government to release other imprisoned opponents. “Ferrer’s leadership and tireless advocacy for the Cuban people was a threat to the regime, which repeatedly imprisoned and tortured him. We are glad that Ferrer is now free from the regime’s oppression,” Rubio wrote in a statement. Yet, the pathway forward for the Cuban opposition remains murky at best. With so many of its leaders now outside the country, questions abound about how effective they can be in mobilizing support and driving change back home.
Ferrer, for his part, remains undaunted. Although he would prefer to be back in Cuba, he told The Associated Press that he believes he and other opponents must now focus on building a strategy from abroad. The hope, he says, is that by organizing in exile, they can provide much-needed resources and support to those still on the island—many of whom face hunger, deprivation, and the constant threat of state repression.
As Cuba continues to grapple with economic turmoil and energy shortages, the absence of strong opposition voices within the country is keenly felt. The crackdown that followed the 2021 protests has left a lasting mark, driving many activists, journalists, and civil society leaders into exile. For Ferrer and others like him, the fight continues—but it is a fight that now must be waged from afar, with all the challenges and uncertainties that entails.
While Ferrer’s exile marks the end of one chapter, it may well be the beginning of another. Whether the opposition can regroup and become a political force from outside the island remains to be seen. But for now, Ferrer’s story is a testament to both the costs of dissent in Cuba and the enduring hope that change, however distant, is still possible.
