Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with José Daniel Ferrer

The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott:

Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with José Daniel Ferrer following his arrival in the United States from Cuba. The Secretary expressed his admiration for Ferrer’s courage and resilience in the face of the Cuban regime’s oppression, threats to his life, and brutal treatment of him and his family. They discussed how Hurricane Melissa added to the misery of the people of eastern Cuba and Ferrer underscored the importance of the U.S. effort to deliver assistance directly to the people in partnership with the Catholic Church instead of partnering with the regime.

Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting the Cuban people’s pursuit of democracy, prosperity, and fundamental freedoms. He emphasized that advocacy by José Daniel Ferrer and other political dissidents like him remains critical to the island’s pro-democracy movement and pledged continued U.S. support for efforts to promote accountability for the Cuban regime’s human rights abuses.