On the Day of the Virgin of Candelaria, when tradition invites us to cut away the old, leave behind the withered, and embrace the light of the new, the United States Ambassador to Cuba, Mike Hammer, shared a message that has taken on profound symbolic value amid the tense political moment the island is experiencing.
"Here the bells are ringing in Camagüey! How beautiful! How beautiful! What could it mean? We'll see each other on the streets of Camagüey. Until next time!" expressed Hammer in a short video posted on the official account of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, accompanied by the message: "Lovely dawn in Camagüey. #WithCubanPeopleStandingTall."
The video was recorded in front of the bell tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria, built in the 18th century and declared a Minor Basilica by Pope Francisco in 2014.
From the top of its tower —a symbol of faith, resistance, and Camagüey's spirituality— the ringing of bells was heard on the morning of this Monday, February 2, which today is associated with the light that dispels darkness, purification, and inner rebirth.
In popular imagination, February 2nd, Candlemas Day, marks a cycle of renewal: the old is pruned so that the new can grow. In today's Cuba, this metaphor takes on an inevitable political significance.
A country on the brink of change
The message from Hammer comes at a time when the Cuban regime is attempting to reframe its diplomatic narrative.
For the first time in more than six decades, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) issued an official statement without mentioning the "blockade" or alluding to the "empire" or "socialism". Instead, it discussed technical cooperation, the fight against terrorism, and cybersecurity.
That gesture, interpreted by analysts as a discursive surrender of the Castro regime, coincides with the increasing pressure from Washington, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces and the energy isolation of Havana.
The administration of Donald Trump and Marco Rubio bet on a mix of strict sanctions with discreet channels of dialogue and, apparently, is managing to force the regime to appear conciliatory in order to survive.
In this context, Hammer's image in Camagüey—an historic, spiritual, and rebellious city—serves as a perfect counterpoint to the rhetoric of power: a smiling diplomat wandering the streets, greeting "ordinary Cubans," while the regime struggles to change the narrative of its exhausted story.
The bells and the message
The ringing of the bells was not coincidental. In Christian tradition, Candelaria announces the end of spiritual winter, the severance from the barren, the rebirth of light.
In today's political language, those bells ring for a Cuba trying to break free from its darkest past, for a nation seeking to reconcile with itself after decades of repression and silence.
On social media, Hammer's gesture was received as a message of encouragement and hope. "The bells ring for a new Cuba," wrote one user. Others highlighted the coincidence with the Marian celebration: "Today is the day to cut away the dead and let the living flourish."
The diplomat did not need to mention politics. The image, the sound, and the context were enough. In a week when the regime is trying to reinvent its narrative and the country is struggling to survive the economic blackout, the ringing of the Candelaria resonates like a declaration of principles: hope can also be diplomatic.
In Camagüey, under the February sun, the bells rang out once more. And in that echo—amid faith, history, and diplomacy—many Cubans heard more than just a greeting: a promise of new life, a break from the old, a rebirth.
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