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As of the time of this publication, and just an hour after they were released, two surveys from CiberCuba regarding the televised appearance of Miguel Díaz-Canel show a marked skepticism among Cubans. In total, 699 people participated in the votes conducted on WhatsApp and Facebook, and the majority believe that the leader will not announce anything new.
In the survey conducted on the WhatsApp channel, 261 users participated: 195 voted for “Nothing new” (75%), 53 for “More continuity” (20%), and 13 for “Real changes” (5%). On Facebook, with 438 votes, the results were very similar: 78% chose “Nothing new,” compared to 18% who opted for “More continuity” and 4% for “Real changes.” Combining both surveys, 537 votes —equivalent to approximately 77% of the total— suggest that Díaz-Canel will not announce anything new, while 132 people (19%) anticipate more continuity and around 30 (4%) expect real changes.
The question posed was direct: "What do you think Díaz-Canel will announce today?" with three answer options. The results reflect overwhelming skepticism among Cubans following CiberCuba, whose Facebook page has over 6 million followers, with approximately 50% residing on the Island. CiberCuba's WhatsApp channel, with more than 351,000 followers and a reach of 450,000 accounts —95% from Cuba— also gathered the same widespread perception.
The comments on the post reinforced the numbers. "Nothing new jjj," wrote Dallami Mayo. Yarumy Duran Bordeloy was more blunt: "Option zero." Héctor VF offered a political reading: "What Cubans really want and desire won't be announced by the regime; it will be announced by the U.S. when the time comes, so this is just another strategy for deterrence to keep people entertained."
The appearance this Friday was announced on Thursday as a continuation of the exchange from February 5, when Díaz-Canel acknowledged an "acute fuel shortage," appealed to "creative resistance," and compared the situation to the Special Period of the nineties. That speech was described on social media as "pure jargon" and "more of the same," with the most repeated reaction being: "Those who have power will see it," referring to the constant blackouts.
Since then, the situation has not improved. On March 7, the Communist Party of Cuba acknowledged that the country is going through "very difficult times" and reiterated the call for "creative resistance," a phrase that has become the subject of public mockery under the slogan "Creative resistance does not provide food." On the same day and the next, prolonged blackouts sparked protests and pot-banging in Marianao, Regla, Boyeros, El Cotorro, and Matanzas.
The electrical deficit exceeds 2,000 MW according to the Electric Union, the GDP has been contracting for five years with an estimated decline of 5% in 2025, and the Cuban peso trades at 560 pesos per euro in the informal market, compared to an average salary of 6,830 pesos, which is about 12 euros. Tourism plummeted from 4.7 million visitors in 2018 to 1.8 million in 2025. This is compounded by the cutoff of Venezuelan oil supplies following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, and the executive order signed by Trump on January 29 declaring Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat" and imposing tariffs on countries that sell crude to it.
The skepticism regarding the polls aligns with the mood reflected even by international betting platforms: Polymarket assigns a 28% probability to the collapse of the regime before December 31, 2026, while Kalshi places the exit of Díaz-Canel at 48% before 2027, with a wagering volume of $2.7 million. A Cuban deputy, Carlos Miguel Pérez Reyes, summed up the sentiment on March 3 with a phrase that resonates now more than ever: "Necessary discourse, but implementation is needed."
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