Students from the Faculty of Architecture at the Technological University of Havana (CUJAE) sent a letter to the institution's rector expressing their dissatisfaction with the decision not to renew the contract of Professor Abel Ernesto Tablada de la Torre.
The document, signed by the Council of the University Student Federation (FEU) of the faculty, questions both the non-renewal of the employment contract and the refusal to allow the professor to continue teaching on a voluntary and unpaid basis.
"We believe that the adopted measure is disproportionate and contrary to the fundamental principles that should govern 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, pedagogical ability, or ethical conduct in the classroom.
"We believe that punishing a teacher for exercising their right to express an opinion, in a personal context, on matters of public interest undermines the spirit of the university as a space for critical thinking, respectful debate, and a plurality of ideas," they stated.
The document also emphasizes that the university should not limit itself to the transmission of technical knowledge, but rather train professionals who can think for themselves and contribute thoughtfully to the development of society.
The students' protest comes after Professor Abel Tablada de la Torre, an architect and full professor at the Faculty of Architecture of CUJAE (Technological University of Havana), was dismissed from the institution after posting critical reflections on Facebook regarding the country's situation 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 in which Cuban universities operate: blackouts, transportation issues, low teacher salaries—ranging from 10 to 15 dollars per month—and material shortages for both professors 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 raised concerns about the decline 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 using the hashtag #ArquitecturaConTablada. In the comments, some described the administrative decision as "shameful" and appealed to the historical tradition of the Cuban student movement.
"The CUJAE is all of us, not them," wrote a user on Instagram, referring to the university administration.
So far, the CUJAE rectorate has not issued a public response to the letter from the FEU Council.
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