Cuban retiree criticizes corruption and loss of values: “Cuba is dying”

The retired Cuban Inés Casal criticized on social media the corruption, social indifference, and widespread loss of ethical values on the island, stating that these realities are leading the country to a gradual death.

In a lengthy reflection shared on his Facebook profile, Casal warned about the moral, civil, and economic deterioration experienced in Cuba, denouncing the lack of ethics and responsibility of the National Assembly and the ruling class, whom he accused of aligning with “the miserable interests of a corrupt and opportunistic caste” instead of defending the rights and demands of the people.

Casal is the mother of the renowned independent artist Julio Llópiz-Casal, one of the key figures in the 27-N movement, which in November 2020 brought together hundreds of young people, intellectuals, and artists in front of the Ministry of Culture in Havana to demand freedom of expression and respect for civil rights on the island.

The retiree particularly lamented the social silence in the face of avoidable tragedies, such as the “murder of inexperienced young people in Mandatory Military Service, sent to a certain and horrific death under the criminal orders of those who did not have the courage to face what was, moreover, their absolute responsibility,” or cases like that of a child “drowned in a completely avoidable manner while returning home from school.”

“We look for the guilty party in anyone but the true one, turning a blind eye with shameful indifference, hoping it doesn't happen to our children or grandchildren,” he expressed.

He also harshly criticized the attitude of those who “humiliate, mock, and accuse our elders - who have already paid dearly for their ‘sins’, forgotten by a regime that owes them so much - and wound them with phrases like: ‘They deserve it, now they shouldn't complain’, forgetting that we all bear some responsibility for the lack of dignity and decorum in which our homeland survives.”

In that regard, he emphasized that the entire Cuban society shares responsibility for the current moral crisis and warned about the seriousness of continuing to waste time on "sterile and passionate discussions" or ideological debates that respond more to "personal interests" than to the search for real solutions for Cuba.

For the mother of the 27-N activist, internal divisions have distracted from the real issue: the presence of a ruling elite that is “criminal and opportunistic,” acting with total impunity in the face of public passivity.

"Until we fully understand that our arrows must point in a single direction: the constant denunciation that Cuba is in the hands of a criminal and opportunistic elite that crushes and will continue to crush our Homeland, with its immense power and impunity, aided by a repressive and murderous mafia, Cuba will keep dying," concluded Casal, leaving a dramatic question open: "Or is it that Cuba is already dead?"

Reports of repression against artists and activists in Cuba have been consistent in recent years. In 2021, the mother of a Cuban artist appealed to the government to stop the repression, highlighting the desperation of families facing political persecution. Her message was a call to reflect on the impact of these measures on society.

Months earlier, in February 2021, Casal expressed her anguish over the escalating hatred and slander directed at her son. She denounced the campaign of discredit and the systematic harassment by the State, highlighting the emotional and familial toll of the struggle for freedom of expression on the island.

In May 2021, this brave woman denounced the harassment driven by the government supporter Humberto López. According to her statements, the primary goal of this media campaign was to discredit her son and publicly expose him, thereby increasing the persecution against opponents and their families.

In a different but related context to the social and professional crisis in Cuba, a Cuban doctor reflected on the difficult situation faced by healthcare professionals on the island. In his testimony, he highlighted the harsh working conditions, the lack of resources, and the frustration many professionals feel as they see no improvements in the healthcare system or in their quality of life.

Recently, the prominent Cuban professor and essayist Alina Bárbara López denounced on her social media the regime's staging to simulate a nonexistent normality in Cuba, despite the deep crisis the country is experiencing.

These testimonies reflect the ongoing crisis faced by various sectors in Cuba, from artists to doctors, and the growing social discontent with the conditions imposed by the regime.

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