The Camagüeyan activist Reyna Yacnara Barreto Batista, recently released from prison after serving a sentence related to the protests on July 11, 2021, published a video on Instagram in which she used the aesthetics of the “therian” phenomenon to convey a message filled with political irony.
“Hello, I am Nara and I’m a therian living in Cuba. I’m a worm. Although I don’t see myself that way, those on the left have told me so many times that something sticks. Although I see myself more as a butterfly living in a river full of catfish,” she stated in the recording.
Far from literally assuming the term “therian”—which refers to individuals who claim to symbolically identify with animals—Reyna used fashionable discourse as a satirical tool.
The word "gusano" has been a political insult used for decades by the Cuban regime and its supporters to dehumanize opponents and emigrants. By reappropriating the term, the young activist redefined it and turned it into a mark of oppositional identity.
The metaphor was completed with the reference to "clarias." In Cuban digital slang, "claria" does not simply refer to the invasive fish species introduced in the 1990s, but to the so-called cyber combatants of the regime: social media profiles that defend the official narrative and attack activists, independent journalists, and critical voices, often from anonymity.
In that context, by defining herself as a “butterfly in a river of catfish,” Reyna found the perfect image to represent the vulnerability, difference, and resilience of activists like herself in the face of a hostile digital environment.
Despite the amusing post, the backdrop of her words is marked by a dramatic personal story. Reyna was injured during the 11J protests in Camagüey and was subsequently sentenced to four years of corrective labor with detention.
During his imprisonment, he received warnings not to get involved in new civic mobilizations. His family reported physical and emotional deterioration, and in 2023 he lost his father while still being deprived of his freedom.
That same year, parole was denied. Finally, in January 2025, she was released amid a process of political prisoner releases.
Since his release from prison, he has maintained an active presence on social media, where he alternates between personal messages and critical stances against the regime.
Her latest publication confirms that she continues to use the digital space not only to express her opinions but also to challenge the language with which she has been labeled for years.
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