Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and one of the former spies of the group known as "The Five," faced strong criticism on social media after posting several messages on his Facebook account attacking independent media and Cuban-American political figures.
In one of his posts, Hernández once again mocked the coverage of CiberCuba regarding the statements of a Florida politician close to Donald Trump. He stated that it was "strange that in the land of freedom, no politician from Florida advocates for the Cuban community to be able to support their family on the island without fear, without hiding, like any other immigrant."
The message sparked hundreds of negative responses. Numerous users accused him of manipulating the issue of remittances and living comfortably thanks to a system that keeps the people in misery. Many stated that “they want to continue living off those who work in capitalism” and that “the greatest blockade in Cuba is internal.” Other comments included: “We don’t want aid, we want freedom,” “stop living off the story,” “you are the ones who mistreat the people,” and “all the misfortune of the Cuban people is your fault for suffocating them for 67 years.”
A day later, Hernández sparked controversy again by posting another image on Facebook in which he referred to Cuban-American politicians as “fake Cubans,” accompanied by the hashtag #FakeCubans. In the text, he wrote that if those individuals “had a single family member in Cuba, they would not be trying to suffocate and cause suffering to our people.”
The reaction was immediate and widespread. Thousands of users responded by pointing out the Cuban regime's responsibility for the suffering of the people and questioning the official's hypocrisy. Among the most shared comments were: “The greatest blockade in Cuba is the one imposed by the government itself,” “if you care so much about the people, let the people choose,” and “a hero is the baker who gets up at 4 in the morning to provide bread for the people, not you.”
Others openly criticized the lack of freedoms and internal repression. Some recalled that “you have your entire family over there and you have been suffocating them since '59” or that “the communist dictatorship is the one suffocating its own Cuban people.” Messages were also read such as “you yourselves destroyed the country with your failed model,” “you have been suffocating the people for 67 years and still blame those from outside,” “the real suffocation is felt from the government when it doesn’t even let you think,” or “if you care so much about the people, relinquish power and allow free elections.”
Some comments spread to describe the precariousness of daily life in Cuba. One user wrote: “I am a woman who has held up to three jobs; the exhaustion and agony consume me. I have a mother and a sister with mental health issues, and I can't even provide them with a proper breakfast. Stop laughing at us.” Another noted: “There is no electricity, no food, no medicine. Cuba is not blocked by anyone; it is held hostage by you.”
There were also references to his past as a spy. “A hero for me is the doctor who saves lives, not the one who ordered the murder of the pilots of Brothers to the Rescue,” wrote one internet user, while another reminded him, “Your cell in the United States still smells of you.” Several comments insisted that “the people have been suffocated by the PCC for years” and that “the blame for the Cuban disaster lies here within, with a system that has systematically destroyed the country.”
Amid the attacks, some criticisms blended irony with disillusionment. "Prepare for tougher times," wrote a user, "no irony this time, just exhaustion. Tougher than what? Tougher than not having light or food? Cuba isn't in crisis; it is collapsing." Others confronted him with straightforward phrases like "you have little time left," "start counting the days, Gerardito," or "don't worry, the suffocation is now for you."
Both publications garnered thousands of reactions, shares, and critical comments, reflecting a growing frustration among Cubans with regime figures like Hernández, who attempt to blame the exile community and the United States for the country's problems. The responses converged on one point: the Cuban people are suffocated, but not by those who have emigrated, rather by a power that refuses to relinquish control.
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