"It is the player, not their pieces, that one must defeat": Carolina Barrero responds to a New York Times article

The Cuban activist and artist Carolina Barrero reacted this Tuesday to a recent article from the New York Times that discusses alleged negotiations between Washington and Havana, in which the United States would be pushing for the departure of the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Through her social media, Barrero stated that the information “does not surprise” her and that it was a “foreseen” scenario.  

According to the interpretation of the report, quoted by the American newspaper from sources close to the discussions, the U.S. administration would have made Díaz-Canel's resignation a condition, while the ruling elite in Cuba—including the Castros—would be looking for a way to ensure that this departure does not appear to be a direct concession to the pressure from Washington.

The news […] is sordid and evident, wrote Barrero, who also questioned the focus on a possible transition centered solely on the figure of the leader designated by General Raúl Castro. In this sense, he insisted that the problem does not lie with a person, but with the power structure that sustains the political system on the island.

It is the player and not their pieces that one must defeat, he noted, emphasizing that Díaz-Canel “is not, and has never been anything more than a pawn.” 

Barrero's statements add to a wave of reactions among Cubans both on and off the island, characterized by skepticism towards any scenario that implies superficial changes without a real transformation of the system.

In this context, their stance reinforces a recurring criticism: the idea that replacing visible figures of power does not necessarily imply a democratic opening or a structural change in Cuba.

The article from the New York Times  has reignited the debate about the scope and intentions of the negotiations between both countries, as well as potential solutions to the political and economic crisis facing the island.