The former leader of Podemos and director of Canal Red, Pablo Iglesias, stated this Friday that the situation in Cuba "is certainly difficult, but not as it is being portrayed from the outside," after holding meetings with representatives of the Communist Party (PCC) in Havana.
During a broadcast intervention by the program El Tablero, Iglesias explained that he arrived on the island as part of an international delegation from Madrid, composed of political figures and leftist activists from various countries.
According to his account, during an initial meeting with Cuban authorities, they outlined the challenges the country faces, particularly the lack of fuel. However, he highlighted what he described as progress in the energy transition through the use of photovoltaic equipment and the increase of electric motorcycles.
The leader also emphasized what he described as the "capacity for resilience" of the Cuban system, in line with the institutional discourse that attributes the crisis to external factors and highlights the "resistance" of the failed Soviet-style socialist model imposed on the Caribbean island.
Additionally, Iglesias recounted meetings with international delegations from political organizations in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, the United States, and other countries, in a context where the arrival of between 400 and 600 participants for activities on the island is anticipated.
His statements align with a recurring pattern among sectors of the international left that visit Cuba and reproduce a perspective that downplays the severity of the crisis, based on exchanges with official sources.
This approach was reiterated days ago by figures such as activist Alexandro Pupo, who urged Cubans to “keep holding on” in the face of difficulties.
Likewise, it contrasts with testimonies such as that of a Cuban in a recent television debate in Argentina, who refused to blame external factors and directly denounced the living conditions and repression within the country.
In parallel, this type of positioning contrasts with growing denunciations within the country regarding the decline in living conditions, marked by blackouts, shortages, and the collapse of basic services, as well as with testimonies from citizens who challenge the external narrative about the Cuban reality.
Iglesias' visit is part of his participation in an international convoy called "Nuestra América," which brings together leftist politicians, union leaders, and activists, and aims to transport over 20 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba, including medicines.
Among the participants are the British Jeremy Corbyn, the Colombian Clara López, and the American Hasan Piker, along with other international figures, according to news reports.
Some of the shipments have already arrived by air from Europe, while new delegations and cargo are expected to arrive.
The initiative comes amidst the deep economic and energy crisis the island is experiencing, characterized by blackouts, fuel shortages, and a decline in living conditions.
Although the organizers present the flotilla as a gesture of solidarity against U.S. sanctions, its arrival also feeds into the official narrative that attributes the crisis solely to external factors, contrasting with the structural problems of the Cuban economic model and the limited scope of such aid in relation to the magnitude of the situation.
Filed under: