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The national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, publicly praised a Cuban who has chosen to raise fish at home as a means of subsistence amidst the food crisis affecting the country.
Through a post on Facebook, the former Cuban spy highlighted the initiative of Omar, a resident of El Cornito, Las Tunas, who has started fish farming in his backyard.
"When, on this blocked island, there was talk of promoting fish farming in backyards, the haters were quick to mock. In El Cornito, at the entrance of Las Tunas, Omar knows that he who laughs last, laughs best," he wrote.
In the post, Hernández did not address the reasons why most Cubans have gone years without consuming fish, except for the few who can purchase it on the black market.
"The solution for fishing is not this. The solution would be a Cuban Fishing Marina like the ones from a few decades ago!" commented an internet user.
"I buy salmon here at the store; I don't have to grow anything. Hahaha, how awful, poor town," mocked a Cuban resident in the United States.
Hernández's praise for initiatives of this kind is not new.
In February 2024, in Havana, he congratulated a family in Los Pinos, Arroyo Naranjo, who were growing vegetables in their backyard, and praised an elderly woman in San Agustín, La Lisa, who cultivated spices and malanga on her balcony on the fourth floor of her apartment. In both instances, the official propaganda highlighted their stories as examples of resilience and creativity in the face of food shortages.
On social media, Hernández's posts have sparked strong criticism, with many Cubans questioning whether these individual initiatives can be presented as sustainable solutions to the country's food crisis. "Be creative to resist," has been the official's justification to those who accuse him of exploiting the citizens' precariousness for political gain.
A repeated strategy
Since taking over the leadership of the CDR, the former spy has emphasized the need for Cuban families to grow crops and raise animals in their backyards as a response to the food crisis. During the pandemic, he promoted home self-sufficiency as a measure to alleviate the shortage of basic products.
At that time, Hernández proposed the idea that if each CDR planted a pumpkin, an additional 138,000 pumpkins would be produced in the country. He also called for the multiplication of cultivation in backyards, rooftops, and plots, as well as promoting animal husbandry as a source of food.
For Cubans, these "solutions" are evidence of the collapse of the production system, which has forced the population to seek rudimentary means of subsistence instead of receiving adequate supplies from the State.
Despite the criticism, Hernández continues to promote the campaign "Cultiva tu pedacito," presenting family self-consumption as a strategy of resilience in the face of the Island's economic crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Food Crisis and Livelihood Initiatives in Cuba
Why does Gerardo Hernández praise fish farming in homes as a solution in Cuba?
Gerardo Hernández praises fish farming in homes as a means of subsistence, highlighting the creativity and resilience of Cuban citizens in the face of the food crisis. Hernández uses these initiatives to promote the campaign "Cultiva tu pedacito," which aims to encourage family self-consumption as a strategy of resistance against the economic crisis on the Island.
What criticisms have been generated by the promotion of individual initiatives as a solution to the food crisis in Cuba?
Individual initiatives, such as fish farming at home, have generated criticism on social media, as many Cubans question the presentation of these as sustainable solutions to the country's food crisis. Critics argue that these practices are evidence of the collapse of the production system in Cuba, forcing the population to seek rudimentary subsistence methods.
How has the reception of the campaign "Cultiva tu pedacito" been in Cuba?
The campaign "Cultiva tu pedacito," promoted by Gerardo Hernández, has been met with skepticism and criticism from many Cubans. The population sees these initiatives as a reflection of the lack of real solutions from the government to the economic and food crisis, as they depend on individual creativity and effort instead of adequate supply from the State.
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