The executive president of the Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA), Tania Velázquez Rodríguez, has addressed the growing social discontent due to the recent increase in phone tariffs, offering public apologies for the poor institutional communication, although she did not retract the imposed measures.
In her recent public appearance on the official “Desde la Presidencia” podcast, broadcasted by state radio and television, Velázquez defended the new commercial policy, warned of a potential technical collapse of the telecommunications system, and continued justifying the prioritization of offers in foreign currency due to the existence of a “market outside of Cuba”.
During the official intervention, which was attended by the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and the Deputy Minister of Communications, Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, the official acknowledged that ETECSA should have communicated its intentions more effectively and admitted that public discontent is understandable given the lack of clarity and the abruptness of the change.
However, he defended the measure as a necessary action to "determine the strategic objectives" of the entity in the current economic context of the country.
“To inform that we will soon be carrying out certain actions aimed at determining the objectives we are explaining today and that we are delving into today. In this regard, I cannot help but extend my apologies to our people, because this entire situation that has arisen from our system, from our company, from our services compels us to do so,” expressed Velázquez.
He added that at ETECSA they feel a strong commitment to the community and consider themselves part of the problem:
"That is to say, we cannot stop doing it because it is something we feel deeply, we feel sensitized, we feel part of the problem, we are part of the problem, and of course we are all committed, all the workers of ETECSA are committed to the solution, to the search for a joint, constructive, respectful, civilized solution."
The recent decision announced by ETECSA adds to a long list of complaints regarding the poor quality of mobile and internet services, the high costs, and the lack of transparency regarding the use of collected revenue.
Many users have reported on social media that connectivity has become a luxury for a population whose average salary hovers around 2,100 Cuban pesos per month.
Despite the wave of criticism, the company, the only one authorized to provide telecommunications services on the island, argues that it cannot operate without making price adjustments due to the rising cost of technology, difficulties in importing parts, and the impact of the U.S. embargo.
In the same program, the official warned that the country could face a “widespread failure” in telecommunications if the necessary adjustments are not implemented.
“Certain failures have been occurring in this infrastructure that are leading us down a path [...] where we foresee that there may be a widespread failure at some point”, warned the president of ETECSA, anticipating a possible collapse of the national telecommunications system.
According to the explanation, if that failure occurs, the consequences would be drastic. “That we wouldn't be able to make phone calls, that we wouldn't be able to send messages, that we wouldn't be able to reach our study or work centers […]”.
Days earlier, during a special appearance on May 31, the official stirred new controversy by revealing that one of the motivations behind the price increase is to cater to the international market of Cubans who wish to communicate with their relatives on the island.
“For over 15 years, we have had the concept of international recharging, which has been very well utilized by a significant percentage of our customer base,” Velázquez explained. “We are also taking advantage of the opportunities we now have in a market outside of Cuba, which is interested in keeping their family members connected.”
Although he denied that ETECSA is fully dollarized, he acknowledged that “the concept of dollarization is a necessity today, in some way, in certain sectors.” The new rates in dollars, accessible only through international cards or the MiTransfer Wallet, confirm this trend.
The impact has been such that students from the University of Havana are maintaining an indefinite academic strike, demanding equitable connectivity and the resignation of the national president of the FEU, Ricardo Rodríguez González, as they believe he is incapable of representing their interests.
While the government insists that these criticisms are part of a "media war," viral parodies like that of the young Alex Umur circulate on the internet, who mocks the new informal balance reselling scheme:
"Juancito receives a recharge from abroad, Juancito sells balance, you buy balance from Juancito... now what we need to see is how much he sells it for," he commented sarcastically.
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