FUNDACION PARA LA DEMOCRACIA PANAMERICANA CORP

Cuba Decide is a citizen initiative that works to change Cuba’s political system and the rule of law. We are Cubans on the island and around the world along with international friends who together work tirelessly to achieve a peaceful change. The threats made by the regime will not paralyze us. Fear does not dominate us. We fight for a democratic Cuba and we are closer than ever to achieving that goal. Cuba Decide is a non-profit, non-partisan and plural organization.

THE STRATEGY
Peaceful mobilization of Cubans and the international community, putting pressure so that the people can live in a democratic system and be free.
Convert thousands of Cubans into agents of change through a platform that informs, involves, and mobilizes citizens on the Island.

We rely on our networks. Volunteers on and off the island drive our movement to succeed. Our network includes thousands of volunteers across Cuba and residing in more than 23 cities across the world. We partner with countless organizations to achieve our mission and have international partners in the hundreds that include government leaders, international institutions and dozens of Cuban groups in the diaspora.

On the island our network is made up of groups of dissidents, members of various churches, artists, and many independent citizens not formally affiliated with any particular group.

For 63 years Cuba has attempted to convince the international community that they are David and the United States is Goliath. They have been successful in propagating this myth through the deployment of their sophisticated intelligence apparatus that uses propaganda techniques to hide the truth of their failed experiment.

Nevertheless, the long-awaited events of July 11th helped to demystify this myth and exposed the regime's brutality to many nations. No longer can the international community justify or defend the regime for its brutal nature and harsh response to the peaceful protesters. The truth is that the real David is the Cuban people, and the real Goliath is the regime.

The Cuba Decide team works to expose these myths using testimonies and facts compiled through the Fundacion para la Democracia's Center of Incident Reporting. The Center has reported that more than 1,300 protesters have been arrested and are facing sentences between 4 and 30 years for participating in the peaceful protests on July 11, 2021.

In 2021, we have been successful in exposing these truths in the United States Congress during an emergency session on Cuba, with the OAS, the InterAmerican Commission for Human Rights, the President of Uruguay, several countries in Europe, and the European Parliament.

Our advocacy also centers on deploying targeted calls for sanctions, the release of political prisoners, solidarity with the Cuban people, the isolation of the regime, and garnering international support for a binding plebiscite following the successful mobilization of the citizenry.

On the ground we support political prisoners, their families and thousands of citizens to amplify their voices and calls for freedom in the international community. We grow our network of volunteer promoters and train them in nonviolent resistance techniques. We foster a sense of belonging and support among those who have taken the step to vocalize their demands for a better life.

It can be best heard in this recent statement by a Cuban citizen:

"In that moment, saying whatever you wanted to say, you felt free. It was an experience I would recommend to everyone of my generation", says Alfredo Martínez, who participated in the historic protest outside the Capitolio building in Havana on July 11, 2021.

July 11, 2021 is one of that those dates that divides history into a “before” and an “after.” The events of that week altered thousands of Cuban lives; they also changed the tenor of debate in every home across the island. We are working to restore human rights in Cuba and creating a path for a peaceful transition to democracy. Join us as we make history!