The Cuban teacher María Elena Díaz Suárez, 89 years old, expressed in an interview that she would like to see Cuba "flourish again" and be able to return to what she described as "those times" of greater dedication to work and the revolution.
Her testimony was shared in a report published on the YouTube channel Visión Tunera, dedicated to the career of the educator from the province of Las Tunas. In the segment, she explains that she retired in 1996 but returned to teaching: "In 2000, Fidel made the call, and I immediately rejoined that call," she states in the video.
During the interview, Díaz Suárez also discusses her relationship with teaching and what it means to her: “My life is the school. Working with children is my reason for being.”
At another point in the testimony, he expresses his wish to see positive changes in the country before he passes away and reminisces about what he considers periods of greater dedication to work and the revolution: “I would like to have the opportunity to see my country thrive again before I leave, I wish for everything to flow, to return to those times that gave us so much life, so much commitment, to work, to the revolution.”
A fragment of that moment was later shared by the page CiberCuba Noticias on Facebook, where it generated numerous reactions among users.
Many comments were critical of the idea of returning to that period and linked it to the current situation in the country. One of the messages stated: “If you go back to those times, the result of that work is 2026.”
Other users rejected the idea of going back to the past. “No, I don’t want to go back to anything, I want to move forward with freedom and well-being,” wrote one person.
There were also comments interpreting the teacher's words as nostalgia. “How sad, she still believes in the ‘Revolution,’” remarked another user.
Some messages questioned the impact that, according to them, the education system had on several generations. “It’s fanatics like this that forge fascist and murderous dictatorships like the one in Cuba,” wrote a commentator.
However, messages also appeared calling for respect towards the educator due to her age or professional background. "An older, elegant, and well-prepared woman. Her ideals should be respected, that is democracy," claimed a user.
Others highlighted her dedication to teaching and her personal conduct. “That lady deserves all the recognition in the world,” remarked one comment, while another person wrote: “She has never harmed anyone.”
The words of this teacher reflect a perspective still held by part of her generation, whose professional life unfolded over decades within the educational system established after the revolution, which served as a tool for political indoctrination and the promotion of the regime's official narrative.
The reactions to the fragment shared on social media, on the other hand, reflect the stance of many Cubans who reject that legacy and point to it as responsible for the economic crisis, the lack of freedoms, and the social deterioration that the country is experiencing.
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