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Amid prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and inflation that erodes salaries in Cuban pesos (CUP), the official Cuban press invited the public on February 14 to "love in adversity." This appeal appeared in a publication of the newspaper Granma, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of Cuba, titled "A Thousand and One Ways to Love in Adversity."
The text appeals to resilience and the ability to "thrive" despite adverse winds. “Let us insist that the mark of love be our footprint in the world,” the article urges, in a distinctly poetic tone that avoids any direct reference to the structural crisis the country is experiencing.
Meanwhile, the everyday reality for millions of Cubans is far removed from that narrative. In a context where the average salary is insufficient to cover basic products and where a simple dinner can cost several thousand CUP, celebrating Valentine's Day has become an unattainable luxury for most.
For many couples, this February 14 passes amidst power outages, long lines, and the uncertainty of not knowing if there will be gas, transportation, or food the next day.
The Granma article talks about "sowing love" and "shortening distances," but it neglects to mention that mass emigration has separated thousands of families and couples. It also does not address the fact that despair has taken root in large segments of the population, especially among young people who see no future within the country.
The article concludes by urging that love should not be limited to just one day and should help overcome "hatred, war, and distance." However, for many Cubans, distance is not a metaphor but a reality defined by video calls and empty homes.
On a Valentine's Day marked by hardship, the official invitation to "love in adversity" sounds, for many, like a rhetorical exercise disconnected from daily struggles. Because when the essentials are lacking, when money is tight and uncertainty prevails, joy ceases to be a celebration.
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