An audio recording of Laura María Gil, daughter of the former Cuban Minister of Economy, Alejandro Gil Fernández, went viral this week and triggered a wave of comments on social media.
In the recording, the young woman reports limitations in her access to the Internet and her WhatsApp account following the announcement of the trial against her father, who is accused of espionage by the Prosecutor's Office, which is seeking a life sentence for him.
The reaction of the Cuban people expresses a mixture of indignation, irony, and exasperation towards the daughter of one of the architects of the economic disaster that currently suffocates Cuba.
"Now you land in Cuba, you have left your world of fantasy. Now you are just another Cuban," wrote a user on Facebook, summarizing the general sentiment: the perception that the young woman, until recently a beneficiary of power, is now experiencing firsthand the precariousness that her own father helped to establish.
"Now he has experienced firsthand what thousands have suffered for decades, and surely when he heard about them, he looked the other way," was another comment.
"Now lamenting, no, my love, trust in your revolution because according to you, the street belongs to the revolutionaries," another reminded her.
Laura María Gil worked at the Ministry of Foreign Trade (MINCEX), under the same state structure that her father led as Minister of Economy and Vice Prime Minister.
As a descendant of high-ranking officials, he enjoyed privileges in a country where the majority survive amid blackouts, long lines, and hunger. Consequently, his current situation does not elicit empathy.
The irony is cruel yet revealing: for many Cubans, what Laura describes as a "reprisal" — a poor connection or digital censorship — is the daily routine of millions of people who have been denouncing similar limitations for years without anyone in power listening to them.
The resentment is aimed not only at the daughter but also at the father, Alejandro Gil, the same person who promoted the so-called "Tarea Ordenamiento," a program that promised to modernize the economy and ended up skyrocketing inflation, decimating wages, and plunging the purchasing power of Cubans.
For many, Gil's trial and his family's reaction represent a sort of symbolic reckoning.
"A soup of their own chocolate," commented a user, referring to the fact that those who benefitted from the system are now suffering the same injustices that the regime has imposed on the people for decades.
"Now it is total manipulation; your father had total manipulation over the people," another one clarified.
However, there were also voices calling for moderation.
"There's so much hatred in the opinions here... when you take that stance, you are just as cruel as he could have been. He made a mistake, yes, but he is her father, and she has the right to defend him," wrote a user.
When power ceases to protect
The general tone was one of skepticism and reproach. Many recalled that while the people suffer from long lines and shortages, the political elite live in another Cuba, a bubble of privilege and access.
Today, that bubble has burst. And the echo on social media reflects not only the morbid curiosity surrounding the fall of a powerful figure, but the deep moral divide between the ruling elite and the people.
Amid the family and political drama surrounding the former minister, Alejandro Gil's daughter has transitioned from being part of the establishment to becoming just another citizen under the control of the very system her family upheld.
As a Cuban said on social media, with bitter clarity: "Many who still believe in that should look in that mirror; who would have told that young woman that she would be going through that process."
Laura María Gil discovers the censorship she hadn't noticed before: "They blocked my WhatsApp."
This week, Laura María reported issues with her WhatsApp account and her Internet connection right when the trial against Alejandro Gil was announced.
"I don't know if it's a coincidence or if someone intervened in my account," she asserted, alluding to possible censorship.
In her message, she described the accusations against her father as "total manipulation." She stated that she will try to attend the hearing - although it will be a closed process - and reiterated her belief that he is not a spy.
The trial, scheduled to take place in the Court of Crimes Against State Security, will be under strict confidentiality measures.
The young has demanded transparency and public broadcasting of the process, appealing to the Cuban people's right to receive complete information about the charges and judicial actions against her father.
The most serious legal case against a former minister in decades
Alejandro Gil Fernández was removed from his position as minister and vice-prime minister in February 2024, and shortly thereafter he began to be investigated for various crimes, including espionage, embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, and influence peddling.
The Prosecutor's Office is seeking life imprisonment for the most serious charge, espionage, and a second trial is expected to involve at least twenty defendants, including high-ranking officials from the Communist Party.
Her case and the reactions surrounding her daughter highlight the clash between the Cuban political elite and the population, as well as the inequality in daily life experiences on the Island.
While citizens face structural difficulties and lack access to essential services, the daughter of the former minister is now experiencing, albeit in a limited way, some of the restrictions that her compatriots endure daily.
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