The Cuban intellectual and essayist Alina Bárbara López Hernández harshly criticized the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel after his televised appearance this Thursday, during which the regime leader called for new sacrifices from the population to tackle the energy and economic crisis affecting the country.
“When a country and its people hit rock bottom, it is immoral to ask for greater sacrifice; because after hitting rock bottom, what remains is to be buried, and we are not going to accept that,” wrote López on her social media, in a message that quickly went viral among Cubans.
The intellectual—one of the most insightful and critical voices of independent thought within Cuba—lamented that the regime has exhausted its ability to provide solutions and continues to rely on citizens' sacrifice as the only way out.
"There are no longer even the soothing promises of wills nor requests for infinite deadlines," warned the also Doctor of Sciences.
In his text, López also made a direct reference to Díaz-Canel, whom he described as a "nervous and dyslexic messenger," alluding to the leader's public address this week, where he spoke for over an hour about the lack of fuel, the "energy blockade," and the need to "resist."
For the essayist, the appearance confirmed the political exhaustion of the regime: “The historical time of its political class has already run out. If anyone had doubts, this intervention made it very clear. Now our time begins, the time of the citizenry,” she wrote.
López's message reflects the growing discontent of civil society in response to the government's lack of answers.
His intervention adds to the multiple reactions sparked by Díaz-Canel's speech, which was seen as an attempt to justify the current crisis without taking responsibility.
The professor has been subjected to surveillance and harassment by State Security due to her intellectual activism and her defense of citizens' rights.
In recent years, it has denounced censorship, repression against critical thought, and the absence of genuine political dialogue in the country.
With her message, the intellectual encapsulates the sentiment of a significant portion of the Cuban population: fatigue with the official discourse, a loss of trust in the regime's promises, and a desire to build a new chapter from civil society.
Filed under: