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Gerardo Hernández Nordelo has become the target of thousands of criticisms on social media in recent hours after posting a series of messages on Facebook in which he openly joined the official smear campaign against the El4tico project, whose young members were arrested last week in Holguín.
With his usual sarcastic tone, the national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and a failed former spy shared three posts in which he repeated the discourse of the Cuban political elite: accusing the regime's critics of "hypocrisy" and "betrayal of the homeland."
In one of them, he included a text that seemed to quote the Constitution of the United States, specifically Article III, regarding "treason," suggesting that the youth of El4tico —and those who support them— would be collaborating with a foreign power.
"It is known that the cipayos are not interested in what the Constitution of their country says, but they also seem to ignore the Magna Carta of the country they praise," he wrote, accompanying his message with a background of the American flag.
In another post, Hernández stated: "There are artists who live in Cuba and are free to criticize whatever they want (about Cuba). Don’t expect them to ever criticize the blockade that the USA uses to suffocate its people, because that doesn’t get them likes. Their motto is: 'Don’t mess with my Visa!'."
Finally, in a third message, he mocked with an image of the Havana Capitol and the phrase: “The order has been given! The same characters who do not dare to condemn Trump's blockade are now rushing to condemn the latest little campaign against Cuba.”
A boomerang effect on social media: Outrage, mockery, and defense of El4tico
Far from garnering support, the posts sparked a deluge of comments against them, in one of the most viral digital reactions that a regime leader has faced recently.
In less than 24 hours, the three posts had amassed thousands of interactions and hundreds of responses, many of which questioned his cynicism and his role as an official in the repressive apparatus.
A user wrote with irony: “Gerardo, the sack of coal is already at 2500. What do we do, brother?”. Another was more direct: “Can two guys making videos cause that much fear? Freedom for the political prisoners of El4tico!”.
Several comments referenced the speech of the detained youths, echoing the phrase from member Kamil Zayas, written prior to his arrest: “I am being arrested for the only crime that a dictatorship cannot tolerate: daring to look straight ahead and speak out loud what everyone notices.”
Among the most applauded messages, one summarized the general sentiment: “The true traitor and enemy of the people is the Communist Party that has hijacked sovereignty and established a totalitarian dictatorship. Freedom for the kids of El4tico. Long live free Cuba!”.
A debate on betrayal, freedom, and political cynicism
The response to Hernández's legal citation was particularly intense. Dozens of users refuted his interpretation of the U.S. constitutional article, pointing out the manipulation of its content and reminding him of his own human rights violations in Cuba.
“Betrayal in the U.S. is not about expressing opinions, criticizing, or denouncing dictatorships; it is declaring war or aiding an armed enemy. Defending freedom or denouncing abuses does not violate any law. What is truly shameful is using legal articles out of context to justify a dictatorship”, wrote a commentator.
Another added: “It is contradictory that a leader who claims to be a defender of sovereignty uses the Constitution of another country to accuse his own compatriots of treason”.
Even those who tried to justify it with patriotic fervor were refuted. "There is no political pluralism, there is no freedom of the press, there are no genuine elections", they reminded him, quoting the Cuban Constitution itself.
“Before talking about betrayal, look at articles 54 and 95: the State recognizes freedom of thought and expression. Where is that today?”.
"Everyone is El4tico": A country that lost its fear
As critical responses grew, the slogan #WeAreAllEl4tico flooded the comments, reaffirming the wave of solidarity with the detained youth.
“You are not Cuba; you are a dictatorship that has gone 67 years without elections”, wrote a user from Havana. “Why so much fear of free elections where the people decide?”, asked another.
The tone of the responses varied between indignation, sarcasm, and direct criticism. “Gerardo, step away from social media; you're too old for this kind of battle. You're a figure, not an influencer,” a Cuban advised him with irony.
Another summed up the widespread sentiment: “The change has already begun, and this time, neither you nor anyone else can stop it”.
Between hashtags and weariness
The regime's attempt to turn El4tico into an example of "cultural mercenarism" has ended up having the opposite effect: it has brought greater visibility to its cause and sparked a widespread debate about the right to dissent in Cuba.
The comments on the leader's profile turned into an open forum about the national crisis, corruption, scarcity, repression, and the lack of freedoms.
Among the most shared, it read: “The only campaign against Cuba is carried out by you, with a police apparatus that silences the people. That is state terrorism.”
Another, incisive, concluded with a prophetic tone: “Enjoy your hour, because you have little time left. Your bosses will abandon you when the system falls. And it will fall.”
When propaganda loses control
What was intended to be a propaganda maneuver to reinforce the official narrative of "betrayal and the external enemy" ended up exposing the rift between power and Cuban society.
For the first time in years, a high-ranking official of the system was openly overwhelmed on his own social media by citizens from both inside and outside the island, who confronted him with arguments, indignation, and humor.
If one thing was clear in this episode, it is that censorship no longer controls the conversation. Social media has become the new "cuartico" of Cuba, but one where— as a young person stated in the comments— "it's no longer the same."
Now the echo is stronger than the gag, and the people, despite everything, will no longer remain silent.
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