Silvio Rodríguez has spoken harshly about the Cuban government and its misguided economic policies, stating that they are destroying the country.
From the discretion of his blog Segunda cita -where the composer of Ojalá filters comments from others- Silvio commented on the devastating analysis by economist Juan Triana Cordoví, a professor at the official Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana at the University of Havana, who this week confronted Díaz-Canel for not acknowledging his responsibility in the evident economic failure.
It was in response to that article by Triana Cordoví that Silvio has said his piece "in time and smiling," as he anticipated in his song Resumen de noticias.
"We built a complicated device that at one point seemed to work, but now it is a burden," he said, and then quoted some lines from his song Sea señora: "When the wings turn into metal / it's time to make the journey again / to the seed of José Martí."
"As Fidel said several times: only we ourselves can destroy this. It is sad to see it, but I believe that is what is happening," the troubadour hinted.
"If we do not quickly dismantle what weighs us down, our own creations are going to swallow us. They are already chewing on us. Let's wake up," he warned.
In another part of his comment on Triana's article, Silvio Rodríguez referred to the "little snakes of '74," clearly referencing his iconic song "I Dream of Snakes," of which he said that today they are "horrible monsters."
Next, without mincing words, he struck out against the obstacles that hinder any progress in Cuba.
"There are so many -but so many- bureaucratic obstacles that I know several potential investors have suffered and have given up on carrying out projects due to the delays imposed by the government apparatus," he pointed out.
"I'm not going to go into details, but this happens both with foreign investments and with ideas from intelligent and creative Cubans who have not wanted to leave, who continue to bet on their country, who have been trying for years to do things that would benefit us but that a sickly bureaucracy prevents from being carried out," he added.
Did Silvio Rodríguez wake up?
This is not the first time in recent months that the author of Unicornio, 77 years old, comments on self-evident truths for many, but which he seems to have just realized recently.
In June 2023, in another notable comment on his blog, he said that the Cuban government needed "a change of mentality" and to "lose the fear" of economic models that could ensure collective well-being.
He recently acknowledged that he no longer feels comfortable singing the phrase "I live in a free country," a line from his no less iconic Pequeña serenata diurna.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he admitted that the crisis in Cuba is "terrible," especially for the elderly who dedicated their lives to the revolution and now do not have enough to survive.
"Most people everywhere just want to live their lives in peace, make some progress, have some opportunities," he pointed out.
Previously, in an interview with El Español in March, Silvio Rodríguez expressed understanding towards the young people who emigrate from Cuba due to the prevailing crisis on the island.
The troubadour, who recently released the 22nd album of his career - titled "Quería saber" - continues to be an influential voice in leftist thought in the political and cultural landscape of both Cuba and the rest of Latin America, but something in him seems to be changing.
"At least half of the Argentine people elected him, and by principle, that is always something to respect," he said about the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, in words that must not have sat well either in the Palace of the Revolution in Havana.
What do you think?
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