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The Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Varela shared in an interview with the American public broadcaster PBS News that he dreams of a democratic Cuba, which he sees as "possible" and "necessary," although he acknowledges that in order to achieve that dream, "many dinosaurs must disappear," referring to what the Cuban communists call the "historical generation," led by 93-year-old Raúl Castro.
"Of course democracy is possible in Cuba. It can be. I have faith and dream that it will be, and I hope it will be very soon," said the singer of "Muros y Puertas" to journalist Jeffrey Brown.
"I deeply love my country and I deeply love the generations that lived alongside me in my country. It pains me deeply to see so many friends leaving every day in search of a possible and uncertain future. My songs also speak of this. This could be a wonderful and prosperous country simply by opening the doors and allowing the soul and individual freedom of all Cubans to flourish so they can develop their full talent in their own land. For that to happen, many dinosaurs must disappear," he stated.
Despite never shying away from discussing politics, facing censorship from the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel; and at his last concert in Cuba, following the mass protests of July 11, in 2022, the audience shouted "Freedom", Varela asserts in this interview that he is not a political singer-songwriter.
"No, I don't like politics, and I don't like politicians either. All politicians should be on Animal Planet. But I have social concerns. Therefore, they are political. That's why for 43 years I have been writing songs that make politicians uncomfortable in Cuba and beyond. I agree with Bob Dylan when he says that he is not interested in spreading a single message. That’s how I think," he insisted, after clarifying that he did not ask anyone to shout Freedom, but neither did he ask his followers not to do so.
In his statements to PBS News, Varela also expressed strong views on what he calls "the hate industry" when he pointed out that "we all know that in these 60-plus years of Castroism, many people have exploited the hate industry to make money. The worst part is that the people are the ones who pay the price," he responded when the interviewer referred to the fact that, just as he has shared the stage with great artists, he has also found himself caught in the crossfire between politicians from the United States and Cuba.
Carlos Varela (Havana, 1963) is one of the most influential voices in Cuban protest music. He began his career in the 1980s and became a key figure in the island's musical scene, although many of his songs have been censored by the regime, particularly on the radio. Known as "the Cuban Bob Dylan," he has collaborated with international artists such as Jackson Browne, Dave Matthews, and Sting. Among his most notable albums are 'Jalisco Park' (1989), 'Como los Peces' (1994), and 'No es el fin' (2009).
Varela does not shy away from supporting causes that annoy the regime. In March 2020, the singer-songwriter joined the intellectuals who stood in solidarity with Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who was at that time imprisoned and awaiting trial on the Island for attempting to attend a kiss-in to protest against the censorship of a gay scene in a movie broadcast by Cuban television.
In September 2022, Varela called for a better Cuba, without political prisoners or censored artists, during a concert at La Salá, in Valencia (Spain).
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