The former Cuban spy Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, current national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and a prominent figure in the political apparatus of the regime, made waves on social media this weekend with a tweet in which he defended the alleged relevance of socialism as a political and economic model.
In his account on X, Hernández Nordelo wrote: "The pro-Yankee cipayos say that socialism doesn't work. The last time I checked, China was a socialist state run by a single party, the Communist Party of China. Of course, it hasn't been blocked by an empire for 65 years...".
Along with the text, he shared a video that contrasts supposed images of streets in the United States with people sleeping on the sidewalk and scenes of a "clean" city in China featuring a modern subway system.
The publication generated a torrent of criticism and responses that question not only its interpretation of international reality but also the deep economic, social, and political crisis that Cuba faces after more than six decades of communist rule.
In particular, many users pointed out the evident contradiction in equating the Chinese system—which combines political control with market economic openness—with the Cuban model, which has maintained a strict state monopoly without allowing full economic freedoms.
A comment that summarized the general discontent stated harshly: "If socialism worked, Cubans wouldn't have to flee. China is progressing because it did exactly the opposite of Cuba, opening up markets and allowing private wealth. The failure of Cuba is political, not external."
Another user noted, "China has a capitalist economy… and what you mentioned there is the city. Rural Chinese are starving," highlighting the contrast between modern urban areas and harsh rural realities, even within China.
The responses to the tweet clearly highlighted the skepticism of many regarding the official narrative.
Several publications reminded that the supposed "blockade" that Hernández invokes as an explanation for Cuba's problems is not the true cause of the prolonged stagnation of the economy or the lack of freedoms on the Island.
"Which blockade? … The only blockade Cuba has is the one imposed by the regime on its citizens," wrote a user, highlighting that the government's control over society and the economy has been the main cause of the daily hardships faced by Cubans.
The comparison with China was also challenged in several comments that pointed out that the Asian country is not an example of traditional socialism, but rather an economy that has integrated market mechanisms and international openness that have never been allowed in Cuba.
"China opened its economy, allowed private investment… The problem is not the embargo; it's a system that doesn't allow its own people to prosper," summarized an internet user.
Hernández Nordelo is not only an official voice in his position as head of the CDR, a state organization that has served to monitor neighborhoods in Cuba since 1960; he was also part of the group known as the "Five Heroes," who were imprisoned in the United States in 1998 for espionage and released in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange between Washington and Havana.
Their publications seek to counter critical narratives about socialism and the regime's policies, but they only highlight the deep frustrations of hundreds of thousands of Cubans due to the persistence of a political model that causes stagnation and repression.
While Hernández Nordelo attempts to validate the Cuban system by comparing it to China, many citizens remind him that the real reason for Cuba's stagnation is a model that has not allowed for economic or political freedom, plunging the country into a crisis that exceeds any external embargo.
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