A Cuban spoke candidly about the reality of life in the country. In a video circulating on social media, she describes the deterioration of public spaces and directly holds the government accountable, in words that have resonated with many users who relate to her sentiments.
The recording has been replicated and widely discussed on digital platforms, where the testimony has gone viral.
The testimony is not a political speech nor a slogan. It is a raw expression of the decay that characterizes everyday life on the island: “it’s a shame that everything is dirty, that everything is destroyed, everything is destroyed, destroyed, destroyed, the student centers destroyed, the children’s circles destroyed, the cinemas destroyed,” he says at the beginning of his direct and courageous reflection.
The woman specifically mentions Ciudad Libertad: “I wish you could see how the first barracks converted into a school in this country, Ciudad Libertad, looks today; I wish you could see it.”
In one of the most powerful passages, he dismisses external explanations and points to internal management: “and that is not the result of the Cubans' fault, it is not due to the population, it is not because of the Yankees, it is not because of the blockade, it is because of the poor performance of the government, which has been busy lining its own pockets.”
The criticism extends to the official ideological discourse: "to shake communism, the so-called communism, because this has never been communism, you see, and to pocket all the fruits of the sacrifices of this people, who indeed have sacrificed quite a lot, quite a lot, quite a lot, quite a lot, they have sacrificed and given everything for this so-called revolution in terms of food."
The tone becomes more personal when discussing potential consequences of self-expression: “So how long will this last? If they record me, if they upload me to the internet, if the State Council summons me, I don’t care, because I have nothing to lose.”
It also appeals to the Constitution: “and this, according to the Constitution of this country, is a state of rights, and this, according to the Constitution of this country, I have the right to my freedom of expression, there is freedom of expression, so I can express what I think.”
And he concludes by recalling a phrase attributed to the late historical leader of the Revolution: "Those who cannot express what they think have no right to life."
The video has been widely shared and replicated on various accounts, accumulating thousands of reactions and comments. Among the posted messages are expressions of support and recognition such as: “Speechless”; “That's right”; “It couldn't be better said, blessings to that lady who had the guts to speak so many truths in so few words”; “You said it all, everything you say is very true”; “Bravo, ma'am. You are a hero.”; “It needed to be said, and it was.”; “My blessings for you, and without saying a single bad word, my God, what intellect, once again my blessings for her”; “That’s right, very clear and precise, she said it all in few words”; “Couldn’t explain it better. God bless you”; “Ashé”; “Very good explanation, she said it all”; “but it has indeed been true communism that has brought the country to ruin and misery”; “Certain words, she has said it all, blessings for her”; “My respects to the lady.”
Beyond its viral nature, the video gives voice to a fatigue that permeates daily life on the island. The question that runs through the speaker's intervention—“So, how much longer will this last?”—captures a widespread sentiment in a country marked by blackouts, shortages, crumbling infrastructure, and a constant emigration that has emptied entire neighborhoods. It is not just a phrase thrown in front of a camera. It is the outpouring of someone who claims to have nothing left to lose amid a reality where more and more Cubans feel they have given too much and received too little in return.
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