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The young artist from Holguín, Gessliam Suárez, known as Momo, criticized the singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez this past Saturday, accusing him of serving the propaganda of the Cuban regime after the official event in which he received an AKM rifle.
In the text, published on her social media, the artist stated that the troubadour has become “a tool of the Cuban dictatorship” and “part of a troop of puppets that serve a dictatorship that deceives everyone.”
According to their assessment, the figure of the musician seems to be used to reinforce the political discourse of those in power during a time of deep crisis on the island.
"I've realized that you are not an artist; rather, you are a pawn. You are a tool of the Cuban dictatorship," wrote Suárez, who also described the singer-songwriter as "one of the oldest jesters" of the Cuban political system and questioned what he sees as a contradiction between the artistic dimension of his work and his alignment with power.
The young woman was particularly critical of the recent episode in which the musician publicly requested an AKM rifle and later received the weapon at an official event organized by the Cuban authorities.
For Suárez, that gesture symbolizes the role of the artist within the political narrative of the regime.
"You ask for an AKM, and they give it to you, using your face of an old buffoon to oxygenate a little more that corpse which is the Cuban revolution," the artist wrote in her post.
In his message, he also accused the troubadour of betraying the Cuban people and stated that his political stance is especially painful because, in his opinion, he is a figure fully aware of the country’s reality.
"You are a traitor and you know it," he stated in the text, where he also questioned the gap between the official discourse and the living conditions of the population.
Suárez is an artist trained in both lyrical singing and acting. Born in Holguín, she initially studied Choral Singing at an art school in her province before enrolling in the National School of Art with a specialization in acting.
She later continued her training at the Higher Institute of Art, where she focused on lyrical singing after discovering her interest in the discipline during a preparatory period in Holguín with soprano María Luisa Clark.
Throughout her career, she has worked as a singer and actress. She was a member of the choir at the Holguín Lyric Theatre and later participated in the National Choir of Cuba and in the Entrevoces Choir directed by Digna Guerra, where she made her solo debut performing the "Salida" from the zarzuela Cecilia Valdés.
She has also developed a career in theater with companies like La Perla Teatro, an experience that led her to explore other musical styles, including jazz.
In addition to her stage work, she maintains an active presence on social media, where she shares texts and personal reflections.
The controversy surrounding Silvio Rodríguez arose after the singer-songwriter wrote on his blog that he demanded an AKM rifle in the event of a military intervention by the United States.
Days later, the regime organized an official ceremony to present the weapon in the presence of high-ranking officials from the Armed Forces and the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The episode has generated criticism both inside and outside of Cuba, particularly due to the contrast between the propaganda surrounding the gesture and the deep economic crisis faced by the population, characterized by food shortages, inflation, and the deterioration of basic services.
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