Students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science (MATCOM) at the University of Havana (UH) reaffirmed in a recent assembly their decision to maintain the faculty strike in rejection of the new rates imposed by the Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA), which they describe as a direct aggression against the Cuban people.
The meeting, held at the Manuel Sanguily amphitheater, featured the participation of students and representatives from various faculties, as well as executives from ETECSA's commercial vice presidency, and it highlighted that tension in Cuba's university campuses continues to rise.
The interventions from students and professors highlighted a significant discontent with the management of the state company and a deep disappointment regarding the conduct of the meeting, which, as reported, was monopolized by lengthy technical explanations that hindered a real debate with all the faculties present.
"The students behave as representatives of the population; the people trust us in these spaces," expressed one of the speakers. According to the profile of Facebook 'Reclamo Univeristario', another speaker emphasized the social and political nature of the issue: "In a country where people earn less than 15 dollars a month, it is more than a commercial problem; it is a social problem."
From MATCOM, the stance was clear: they will maintain the non-attendance to classes until ETECSA proposes solutions that meet the needs of the people. They also noted that the company's representatives did not acknowledge the underlying error of the measure, despite new data regarding the company's financial situation being shared during the meeting.
One of the students summarized the collective sentiment with a question that resonated in the auditorium: "Are we vulnerable, or are their measures what make us vulnerable?"
This statement adds to other demands raised throughout the day, such as the disconnection between the official CUP rate and the dollar, the bias in ETECSA's definition of "vulnerable," and the structural exclusion posed by the rates imposed since May 30.
The meeting was called as an attempt at mediation after several days of public statements from various faculties. However, the format of the meeting was criticized by attendees, who claimed that many faculties were left without the opportunity to speak. "We were told that this was a space for debate, but that did not happen," student representatives stated.
The final agreement of the assembly was to continue the dialogue with ETECSA in future meetings and through working committees, although with a clear warning: the protest will not cease.
"We would like to give a vote of confidence, but we have seen too much. Therefore, I am going to share what my Faculty Council thinks and what we have discussed with various Faculties, which is that we will continue to call for no class attendance until a new space is found to achieve the solution," said one of the speakers present at the meeting.
The students' stance is that this is not just about the interests of the university sector, but about a struggle for social justice and equitable access to information, education, and communication across the country.
Reclamo Universitario, which has been documenting the protests, published the video of the meeting along with a statement highlighting the autonomy of the student movement and questioning the "insensitive and servile" attitude of the national leaders of the FEU towards the bureaucracy.
The criticism particularly targets the national president of the organization, Ricardo Rodríguez González, who has been pointed out for his closeness to the official discourse and his lack of action in response to student demands. In a recent statement, the Humanities students of UH called for Rodríguez González's resignation, who is also a member of the State Council led by Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The university protest against the tariff increase has turned into a national movement that calls into question not only ETECSA's business decisions but also the representativeness of official youth organizations.
While the pressure mounts both inside and outside the classrooms, the students insist: the strike continues until the true needs of the people are heard.
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