An open letter signed by the university community of Holguín has been circulating since Monday on social media as a show of rejection against the price increase applied by the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA).
Addressed to the authorities of the Communist Party, the provincial government, the Attorney General’s office, and the company itself, the letter denounces the unilateral nature of the new internet rates and warns about their negative effects on student life.
The document criticizes that the measures came into effect without the 30-day notice required by the service contract, and argues that the available packages, such as the 360 CUP student recharge, are unattainable for the majority, considering that the average salary in Cuba barely exceeds 5,700 CUP.
"These measures, aimed at collecting foreign currency, are unacceptable in a context of economic scarcity," the signatories point out, warning that the rate hike exacerbates inequality and limits the right to education, research, and remote work.
The text includes an appendix written from a psychological perspective, explaining that the increase in connection costs generates anxiety, academic stress, frustration, and a general feeling of injustice.
"It's not just about numbers: it's about postponed dreams and lost opportunities," they assert.
The university community reports that digital isolation also harms the mental and emotional health of young people, hindering their ability to communicate with family members or participate in online educational and social spaces.
"Many of us have seen how talented peers abandon their studies, not due to a lack of ability, but because of barriers that seem insurmountable," they lament.
Several members of the University of Holguín have echoed the letter by sharing it on their personal profiles and in social media groups, supporting its content and publicly expressing their concern about the impact of ETECSA's measures on the student environment.
The text bases its claims on multiple articles of the Cuban Constitution and other national laws, such as the Penal Code and the Code of Procedures, to argue that ETECSA has violated rights such as equitable access to essential goods and services, and the state's duty to ensure legality, justice, and equity.
In addition to demanding the immediate suspension of the rate hike, the students are calling for the search for an alternative solution that ensures fair prices that respect socialist legality. They reject any attempts to manipulate or delegitimize their claims and affirm their loyalty to constitutional, revolutionary, and social justice principles.
"We do not ask for privileges; we ask for opportunities. We do not demand luxuries, but rights," concludes the letter, which ends with a phrase that has already become a slogan: "For a Cuba where the Constitution is not a dead letter, and Cuban labor is the true currency of the homeland."
The growing discontent among university students in Holguín regarding the new rates imposed by the Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA) was initially expressed this Friday when law students publicly filed a complaint against the state company.
In their statement, they accused ETECSA of acting without transparency and failing to respect the 30-day contractual notice period, as well as imposing measures they consider abusive, discriminatory, and disconnected from the real needs of the population.
The next day, a group of professors from the General Theory of Law and Philosophy of Law at the University of Holguín joined the student protest with a strong statement.
They openly supported the protests and demanded the immediate suspension of the measures imposed by ETECSA, in addition to calling for a genuinely transparent citizen consultation process.
They harshly criticized the technocratic responses provided by the company's executives and warned about the negative effects that these policies could have on equity and access to knowledge in Cuba.
Finally, last Sunday, the Council of the University Student Federation (FEU) of the University of Holguín issued a statement in which, while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation and expressing openness to dialogue with the authorities, chose to distance itself from public protests.
Instead of demanding specific changes, he called for "thinking solutions" and condemned what he referred to as distortions and incitements to hatred.
Frequently asked questions about the ETECSA rate hike and its impact on Cuban students
Why are students at the University of Holguín protesting against ETECSA?
Students are protesting against the increase in ETECSA's rates because they believe that these measures are unattainable and unfair, limit internet access, exacerbate inequality, and affect their rights to education, communication, and remote work.
What are the main demands of Cuban students regarding ETECSA's price hike?
Students are demanding the immediate suspension of the price hike and the search for alternative solutions that ensure fair prices and respect socialist legality. They also call for a transparent consultation process with the public and a respectful approach to their demands.
How does ETECSA's rate hike affect student life in Cuba?
The rate hike impacts student life by limiting access to international academic platforms, hindering research and communication with tutors, and creating anxiety, academic stress, and a sense of injustice among students.
What position has the University Student Federation (FEU) taken regarding the protests?
The FEU has shown an ambivalent stance; while some faculties have supported the protests, others have urged the search for solutions and expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue, although without explicitly supporting the academic strike.
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