Related videos:
The official spokesperson Michel E. Torres Corona reignited the controversy by publicly urging Cubans to direct their criticisms at the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, instead of questioning figures within the regime's propaganda apparatus.
During a recent broadcast of the state program Con Filo, Torres responded to an incident that occurred days earlier, when a citizen confronted him on the street and called him a “brazen communist”. The host described the incident as “understandable” within the context of the crisis the country is experiencing, but criticized that public discontent is not directed towards Washington.
"It is understandable that there are people who, in the midst of the difficult conditions in the country, instead of taking on Mr. Hammer, who advocates for the blockade against Cuba, choose to confront someone who is simply walking one morning down Obispo," he stated on the program.
The comment is part of a broader discourse in which the host insisted on holding the United States accountable for the island's economic situation, while defending the stance of the Cuban government and urging to "raise the voice for the revolution."
The statements come at a particularly tense moment, marked by the deterioration of living conditions in Cuba, with prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and increasing social discontent. In this context, Torres himself has been the target of criticism on social media and direct confrontations on the streets, such as the recent incident in Havana, where there was even a semblance of physical aggression.
Far from moderating his tone, the host has intensified his rhetoric in recent weeks. Days ago, he also sparked controversy by joining singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez in calling for the delivery of an AKM rifle, in clear armed confrontation against a hypothetical scenario of U.S. intervention, stating: “And I. We will only give fire.”
Torres' stance has also been evident in his reaction to the protests in Morón, where he referred to the demonstrators who took to the streets as “beasts” amidst blackouts lasting over 20 hours a day.
While the official discourse insists on attributing the crisis to the U.S. embargo and appeals to ideological resistance, an increasing number of Cubans are expressing their frustration directly against those they consider part of the regime's propaganda machinery.
The episode reflects a growing tension within the island, where the official narrative increasingly clashes with the daily reality of a population weary from the crisis.
Filed under: