Thousands of Cubans on the island have been receiving unexpected messages on their cell phones for several days now. They are not promotions or official announcements; they are texts that speak directly about freedom, daily fear, and hope, sent en masse in a country where control of communications is one of the most sensitive tools of power.
The messages, which have arrived via WhatsApp and emails to both ordinary citizens and press agencies based in Cuba, are attributed to the movement Cuba Primero and its leader, Cuban-American businessman Armando Labrador. In one of them, the text begins with a phrase that immediately connects with the daily experience of many on the island: “I know that living inside feels like having a tight chest.”
According to Labrador, in a conversation with journalist Javier Díaz from Univisión Noticias, the operation has been complex and risky. He claims that they managed to infiltrate the cellular network from the outside by using infrastructure located in Texas, and that the messages are not only sent randomly but also to numbers deemed strategic. Among these, he asserts, is even the phone of Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, son of Fidel Castro.
"The message does not arise from hatred; it comes from love for Cuba and its people," asserts Labrador, who acknowledges that such actions have only been possible due to the participation of people within the island willing to take risks. "Working from Cuba is complicated, but there are brave men who are doing their part," he states.
The offensive has not been limited to the digital realm. The Cuba Primero movement has also taken credit for the appearance of posters and graffiti with similar messages in key locations in Havana, such as the Malecón, the vicinity of the Capitol, and El Curita park—highly monitored and symbolic places. For Labrador, these actions dismantle the official narrative that Cubans are passive: “This is proof that Cubans are taking action.”
In this context, the leader of the movement argues that any potential negotiation between the United States and Cuba should include accountability for the ruling elite regarding the crimes committed over the decades. Nonetheless, he emphasizes that, in his view, there must be a single priority: “If there is no freedom, there can be no justice.”
The situation on the island remains critical. The United States Embassy in Havana recently issued a statement advising its citizens about the severe energy crisis and recommending they stock up on basic supplies such as water and portable batteries, another indication of the deteriorating living conditions.
So far, there is no knowledge of arrests related to the dissemination of these messages or the creation of the graffiti, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by a population used to the regime's swift repressive responses.
Meanwhile, phones continue to vibrate in the pockets of thousands of Cubans, carrying a message that, for many, breaks the imposed silence and reminds them that even under constant surveillance, the word "freedom" keeps finding ways to sneak onto the island.
Filed under: