A meeting called by students from the University of Havana was disrupted this Tuesday by an unusual "popular party" organized in Víctor Hugo Park, at H and 21, in El Vedado.
What was supposed to be a meeting to discuss study conditions and potential university reforms was buried under loudspeakers, children's games, food tents, and dozens of uniformed minors brought to the site.
The meeting had been scheduled for 10:00 AM, a day after several students staged a peaceful sit-in on the steps of the University of Havana to protest, among other things, the rise in internet prices. However, upon arriving at the park, they encountered a scene completely taken over by a large event organized by local authorities.
The Cuban Juliette Isabel Fernández Estrada, wife of the Cuban activist Boris González Arenas, described the stage setting with loud music, Cuban and July 26 flags, cultural entertainers, traditional games, tents with food, and professional cameras recording the activity. Numerous children and adolescents in school uniforms were also seen participating in games like tug-of-war or the "burrito," while a clown led a children's conga.
At the same time, more than ten trucks were parked around the park, apparently from state work centers, some loaded with products to sell in the makeshift tents. Vehicles connected to official institutions were also seen on the nearby streets, including cars from the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Hermanos Saíz Association.
Although there was no strong visible presence of patrols, among the attendees there were workers and plainclothes agents that several witnesses identified as part of State Security.
The scene contrasted with the sparse presence of university-aged youth, who were precisely the ones who had called the meeting. According to reports from observers, many of the minors present had been brought in from nearby schools to participate in the event, without their families being informed in advance that there would be no classes.
From the official accounts of the Plaza de la Revolución municipality, the authorities presented the event as a recreational activity preceding the Week of Municipal Culture. On social media, they celebrated the presence of children and adolescents “amid laughter, joy, and traditional games,” accompanied by local sports promoters.
However, for those who closely followed the student call, the coincidence does not seem accidental. Independent organizations and activists reported that it was a maneuver to prevent university students from gathering freely and discussing their demands.
The activity takes place amidst growing discontent among students over study conditions and measures that impact their daily lives, such as the high costs of connectivity on the island. On Monday, about twenty young people gathered peacefully on the university stairs, in a protest that ended surrounded by State Security agents.
This Tuesday, instead of an open park for student debate, university students encountered a carefully arranged spectacle that transformed the space into a children's celebration. For many observers, the scene painted a vivid picture of the atmosphere surrounding any attempt at independent organization in Cuba today.
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