The Cuban regime resorts to "patriotic pride" to counter the crisis and pressures from the U.S.

Amid the growing political isolation of Miguel Díaz-Canel and the pressures from the United States on the Cuban regime, the state portal Cubadebate has launched a new contest under the slogan "Show Your Cuban Pride in Photos", a propaganda initiative aimed at appealing to patriotic sentiment during a time of deep national crisis.

The contest, promoted by the section “The Reader's Strip”, invites Cubans to send images that “represent their pride for the homeland” amidst daily blackouts, widespread shortages, and an unprecedented economic situation.

The Cuban pride does not arise from abundance, but from scarcity and reinvention, says the text published by the state media, attempting to turn precariousness into a trait of identity.

Analysts and observers point out that such campaigns are part of a strategy for symbolic reaffirmation of the regime, aimed at “reviving nationalist emotions” and diverting attention from the collapse of the socialist model.

“Instead of providing concrete solutions, the Government clings to emotional rhetoric: love for the land, dignity, and resistance,” some point out.

The launch of the contest coincides with a period of intense pressure on the regime from the United States and the apparent loss for Cuba of its main ally in Latin America, Venezuela.

The call from Cubadebate comes at a time when the regime is amplifying its messages of resistance in response to a potential U.S. intervention, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and the tightening of Washington's policy towards the allies of chavismo.

For many, it is a desperate attempt to uphold the narrative of the Cuban revolution.

In recent weeks, official Cuban propaganda has attempted to construct a narrative of "national unity" in the face of alleged external threats, disseminating videos of military maneuvers, patriotic events, and calls to "defend sovereignty."