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The Cuban actor and playwright Yunior García Aguilera reacted to the unexpected public statement from Laura María Gil González, daughter of former minister Alejandro Gil, who called for transparency and requested an "open-door" trial.
“The daughter of Gil broke the silence. And that, in Cuba, is no small matter,” wrote Yunior García on his Facebook wall, while commenting on the three messages that the daughter of the former minister posted on social media and which, according to him, “have made more than one bureaucrat nervous.”
García analyzed the young woman's performance: he dissected her language, her measured irony, and her way of speaking "that can only be learned by living under a dictatorship."
For the activist, Laura's text is an example of self-censored discourse, which he refers to as "self-censored discourse": phrases that say just enough for the censor while simultaneously conveying a message that the people understood clearly.
"It is the typical language of the accused (or their families) in dictatorships, a way of speaking inherited from Stalin's trials, where one had to demonstrate loyalty even while being held at gunpoint. It is also known as 'language of forced submission' or 'discourse of feigned obedience,'" Yunior explained.
"Those of us who have lived under a totalitarian regime recognize it immediately. You say one thing so that the censor doesn’t punish you, and another so that the people understand what you really mean. And she has done it 'to perfection,'" the artist stated.
In her opinion, the young woman's statement is, in addition to being an act of a daughter, a desperate and brave gesture that deserves respect.
What Laura Gil requested and why it concerns those in power
In her publications, Laura María Gil González demanded greater transparency regarding the accusations of espionage, embezzlement and other crimes attributed to her father, and invoked constitutional articles that recognize freedom of expression and the defense of honor.
He demanded that the trial be held "behind closed doors" and televised, and requested clear information about the alleged countries and events involved in the charges.
The gesture is unusual: it comes from someone who was part of the institutional framework—until recently, a specialist in the Import Department of MINCEX—and who until then had been careful to keep their public profile apolitical.
That a daughter of a former high-ranking official breaks the silence and questions the official statement from the Prosecutor's Office is, in itself, a sign of fracture within circles close to power.
What is the government saying? Mixed reactions
Laura's post comes in a context of high tension: the Prosecutor's Office has charged Alejandro Gil with serious crimes -including espionage, embezzlement, bribery, money laundering, and others- and sources cited by independent media speak of a prosecution request that includes life imprisonment.
The official responses and family reactions were discordant.
The sister of the former minister, María Victoria Gil, from the Canary Islands, stated that she feels "hurt and ashamed" and affirmed that if Alejandro Gil has betrayed his principles, he deserves to face the full force of the law.
In parallel, government networks promoted the hashtag #CeroImpunidad, with leaders of the Communist Party supporting punitive actions against corruption.
The political significance of the "language of self-defense"
For Yunior García, beyond the specific content of Laura's questions, the value of the message lies in the form: speaking from within, using codes that the regime understands while simultaneously activating critical thinking among the population.
This rhetorical device, he explains, has been the survival tool for hundreds of Cubans who have had to say what is necessary to avoid sanctions, while subtly conveying their true thoughts.
García interprets the gesture as a clear sign that "the old building is crumbling, even if it is falling in slow motion." In other words, the façade of unity and control projected by the elite is starting to fracture as dissenting voices emerge even among those close to them.
Risks, reprisals, and the fallacy of selective transparency
Laura's statement also reveals a contradiction within the system: the regime proclaims legal procedures and transparency, but its record shows opacity, closed processes, and the political use of criminal mechanisms.
Requesting a public trial in an environment where censorship and information control are the norm is, in addition to a demand for justice, a provocation that could endanger the author and her family.
In practice, the State has tools—administrative, judicial, and security—to contain or crush such internal challenges.
What does it imply for the regime's stability?
The case of Alejandro Gil—once a prominent figure in economic policy—and his daughter's public reaction opens several lines of tension: internal conflicts within the nomenclature, policies for controlling public narrative, and the fragility of a system that relies heavily on both authoritarian management and personal loyalty.
That a figure connected to the apparatus calls for an "open and televised" trial not only highlights the need to prove the innocence or guilt of the accused, but also brings to light the dispute over control of public truth: who reports, how it is reported, and for what purposes.
The gesture of the young woman – a dissonant voice within the elite – reveals cracks in the official discourse and highlights the tension between the regime's rhetoric of control and the public pressure for accountability.
The public appearance of Laura María Gil and the critical interpretation by Yunior García highlight what many were already whispering: the official narrative of absolute control has cracks.
That the daughter of a former minister is calling for transparency and public scrutiny on a politically significant case is not just a family request; it is a crack that could widen if other members of the power structure begin to challenge the opacity of the procedures.
In a country where public management intertwines with personal survival, Laura's request acts as a mirror reflecting the fundamental question: who decides what is said, what is silenced, and whom does the system protect when someone from its own ranks falls?
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