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Students from the Faculty of Architecture at the Technological University of Havana (CUJAE) sent a letter to the rector of the institution expressing their dissatisfaction with the decision not to renew the contract of Professor Abel Ernesto Tablada de la Torre.
The document, signed by the University Student Federation Council (FEU) of the faculty, questions both the non-renewal of the employment contract and the refusal to allow the instructor to continue teaching voluntarily and without compensation.
"We believe that the adopted measure is disproportionate and contradictory to the fundamental principles that should guide a higher education institution," the text states.
In the letter, the students state that the reason for the decision —personal reflections published by the professor on his Facebook account— is not related to his professional performance, teaching ability, or ethical conduct within the classroom.
"We believe that punishing a teacher for exercising their right to express personal opinions on matters of civic interest undermines the spirit of the university as a space for critical thinking, respectful debate, and a plurality of ideas," they expressed.
The document also emphasizes that the university should not be limited to the transmission of technical knowledge, but should instead train professionals who can think for themselves and contribute thoughtfully to the development of society.
The student protest occurs after Professor Abel Tablada de la Torre, an architect and tenured professor at the Faculty of Architecture of CUJAE (Technological University of Havana), was removed from the institution for posting critical reflections on Facebook regarding the situation in the country and the Cuban university system.
In a message to his students, Tablada stated that some reflections shared on his personal wall "had not been to the liking of the University administration."
Among the highlighted publications are two texts: one about the Telecommunications Company (Etecsa) in 2025, and the second, more recent, titled "The University and Resilience," dated February 2.
In that document, Tablada described the difficult conditions under which Cuban universities operate: blackouts, transportation issues, low teaching salaries—which he estimated to be between 10 and 15 dollars a month—and material shortages for both teachers and students.
"Excessive resilience can lead to accepting as normal conditions that should not be prolonged for such a long time," wrote the academic, who warned about the deterioration in the preparation of new students and the loss of equity in access to and retention in higher education.
After the letter was circulated, several students and alumni expressed their support on social media with the hashtag #ArquitecturaConTablada. In the comments, some described the administrative decision as "shameful" and appealed to the historical tradition of the Cuban student movement.
"La CUJAE is all of us, not them," wrote a user on Instagram, referring to the university administration.
So far, the rectorate of CUJAE has not issued a public response to the letter from the FEU Council.
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