A post by ETECSA_Cuba Granma on Facebook has sparked outrage and criticism among users, after the state-owned company announced the giveaway of a mobile phone as a prize to a customer, in a context characterized by high prices, limited services, and significant inequalities in access to telecommunications in Cuba.
According to the official post, client 2512 was the winner of a prize from ETECSA. Judging by the images shared, it was a Samsung Galaxy A22 phone. The post included a congratulatory message "from the Granma collective."
The winner, identified in the comments as Lucrecia Milan Valera, responded to the criticisms by denying having family ties or friendships within the company and stating that she was unaware she would receive the gift.
"I have no friends or family there... I didn't know that gift would come to me; I received it with great joy," he wrote in a message in which he also defended that the recharge associated with the prize coincided with the date 25/12.
Criticism for inequality and priorities
Despite the winner's explanation, numerous users questioned the purpose of the contest and ETECSA's disconnection from the reality of most of its customers.
One of the comments described the initiative as "a lack of respect" and noted that it highlights the social inequality existing in the country.
Other users criticized that, instead of "inflating" those who already have access to external recharge, the company should improve the quality of service, expand access to mobile data, and resolve basic issues such as the lack of replacement lines, in a country where thousands of people lose their phones due to theft or damage without any possibility of recovery.
An award that leaves a bad taste
The controversy reflects the growing public discontent with trade policies that, according to users, benefit those who receive foreign currency, while the majority of the population faces insufficient wages, limited connectivity, and unaffordable prices.
On social media, many agreed that ETECSA's "gift" comes at the worst moment, as the company is perceived more as a business reliant on international recharges than as a public service accessible to all Cubans.
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