Amid the growing social discontent over the increase in telecommunications service rates in Cuba, a student from the “Salvador Allende” Faculty of Medical Sciences in Havana has become yet another symbol of youthful unrest.
His intervention during a student assembly, widely shared on social media, directly confronted the state-owned company ETECSA, challenging its economic policy and demanding real answers, not empty justifications.
The young man, in a firm tone and supported by applause from his peers, reminded those present and the authorities that "the currency of this country is the national currency. The currency of this country is not the dollar, not the pound sterling, and not the Swiss franc."
With these words, he criticized the recent restrictions that limit top-ups in Cuban pesos (CUP) to a maximum of 360 CUP within a 30-day period and the increasing dollarization of the service, which effectively excludes those who only have Cuban pesos.
Later on, visibly frustrated by the lack of concrete answers, he made a direct call to those presiding over the meeting:
“I encourage, as a conclusion to this meeting… the faculty board and the FEU secretariat to bring someone from the government who can give us the answer we want to hear, not the justification we have been hearing since the Mesa Redonda five days ago.”
His words brought to light a common complaint among students: the frustration with the repeated official discourse and the lack of political will to address the crisis from a social perspective.
Lit Networks: Pride, Fear, and Solidarity
The reaction on social media has been overwhelming and emotional.
Dozens of comments expressed pride, admiration, and also concern over possible repercussions.
“That boy fills me with pride, that's how you speak”, wrote an internet user; while others celebrated his bravery: “What excitement… that boy really has guts!” and “My respects, he spoke openly and clearly.”
Other messages warned about the need for popular support: “Why isn't the people supporting these young people? This is the time”, one commented.
There were also calls for unity among students to support each other: "Everyone needs to come together and not allow reprisals against any student for demanding a right."
Amid the support, skepticism also emerged: “The sad thing is that the people are leaving them alone in this demand, and they will be left alone when things get tough.”
The official response: More repression than solutions
The academic strike, which began on June 4, has spread to universities across the country, centered around the University of Havana. In the face of the growing student movement, the government has chosen to rally its forces.
During his weekly podcast "Desde la Presidencia," Miguel Díaz-Canel, accompanied by ETECSA director Tania Velázquez, made it clear that there will be no turning back on the increase in rates.
According to Díaz-Canel, suspending the measures would be equivalent to “giving up revenue to maintain the service”, and he warned that the country could face a “technological collapse” if unpopular decisions are not implemented.
"When a technological collapse occurs, we would also be held accountable," he stated.
Tania Velázquez detailed the extent of that hypothetical collapse: the inability to make calls, send messages, or access workplaces and educational institutions.
The government maintains its inflexible stance, reiterating that it is necessary to "take a step back to gather what we need."
A movement that does not stop
Despite the regime's attempts to deny and discredit the academic strike -accusing students of being manipulated from abroad- the student movement continues to articulate clear demands: fair fees, equitable access to the internet, and the resignation of the president of the FEU, Ricardo Rodríguez González, whom they accuse of defending the interests of the government rather than those of the student body.
“ETECSA is a company of the socialist state” and “is acting against the people,” warned another of the many students who, in recent days, have raised their voices in pursuit of building a fairer university and a more transparent society.
In the face of censorship, apathy, and fear, Cuban students are showing that they do not want to remain spectators of the decline, but rather protagonists of change.
Her struggle not only challenges ETECSA or the university authorities but all of a country that has learned to resist in silence and is now beginning, little by little, to speak out loud.
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