One day after being , Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted on social media with a message that blends ideological challenge and political victimhood.
"What bothers the US about #Cuba is true independence, that transnational corporations do not govern here, and that we have free health care and education," he wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter).
The statement from the Cuban leader comes amid a new set of sanctions that, for the first time, directly accuse him of "serious human rights violations". The measure, announced by the State Department on Friday, bars both Díaz-Canel and his closest family members from entering the U.S.
The sanctions also include the Minister of the Armed Forces (FAR), Álvaro López Miera, and the Minister of the Interior, Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, as well as their respective family members.
According to U.S. officials, these actions aim to hold accountable those most responsible for the repression unleashed after the protests of July 11, 2021, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets shouting “Freedom!” and faced harsh repression.
"The United States will never forget the tenacity of the Cuban people four years ago", said a senior official to the Miami Herald, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that they are restricting visas for 'key figures of the regime' as a means of holding them accountable for their brutality.
From Havana, the regime's reaction was swift. The foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez described the measure as part of a “prolonged and ruthless economic war” that will not succeed in bending “the will of this people or their leaders.” Meanwhile, the deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío referred to a “supposed sanction” accepted “with pride.”
In that same tone, Díaz-Canel's tweet aims to reclaim the discourse of sovereignty, asserting that what truly bothers Washington is that Cuba does not surrender, does not privatize, and does not remain silent.
But his words raise an unavoidable question that is repeated among many Cubans, both inside and outside the island: why does it bother them so much that they are banned from entering a country they have always accused of being an enemy? If Cuba is "independent," as he claims, why does this measure affect them?
Díaz-Canel mentions free health care and education as achievements of the system, but remains silent about the hundreds of political prisoners, the families separated by forced migration, and the humanitarian crisis that drives thousands of Cubans to flee.
Meanwhile, the United States also updated its List of Prohibited Accommodations in Cuba, adding eleven new hotels linked to the military conglomerate GAESA, in an attempt to restrict direct funding to the repressive apparatus.
Although the post from the leader appointed by Raúl Castro received expressions of support from figures close to the regime, it also sparked a wave of outrage among citizens who experience the daily reality of the island.
“Brother, it's serious that you go on talking about health and education when there are no medicines and all the institutions are falling apart… The show doesn't last forever, the carpet can’t take hiding one more mess,” responded a user identified as @charles_ghost7.
“Which independence? If they are not able to provide some milk for the children. Which independence are you talking about, if they extort Cubans on the island so that those outside can support them. Ah… nothing in life is free. By the way: a terrible education and health system… among the worst in the world,” criticized Abel Cartaya (@AbelCartaya).
“Is this a joke? What education and health are you talking about? What independence? The people can’t endure more misery and hunger. Just get lost and let Cuba be free. Homeland and Life!” wrote Daniel Ramírez V. (@Daniel8804RV).
In four years since 11J, the sanctions serve as a reminder that the international community, at least from Washington, has not forgotten what happened. Organizations like Justicia 11J have documented more than 1,500 arrests, many of which were followed by summary trials and lengthy sentences.
Díaz-Canel's tweet may seek support among his followers, but it also reveals the growing isolation of the regime, its repetitive narrative, and the disconnection with a citizenry tired of empty promises.
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