Cuban children and teenagers recently participated in a "kite festival against the blockade," an initiative organized by the José Martí Pioneer Organization (OPJM) and the Union of Young Communists (UJC). The event took place in several provinces across the country and featured activities with a strong political content.
Images circulated by state media and official accounts show primary and secondary school students flying kites adorned with Cuban flags, slogans, and messages that align with the government narrative. The main activity in Havana took place along areas of the Malecón, according to reports from the Caribe channel.
In an official post, Cubavisión Internacional highlighted that the participants “turned their kites into messages of a demand that grows from generation to generation: the right to live in peace.”
For its part, the UJC stated on its social media that the event was part of the 65th anniversary of the organization and highlighted the presence of young pioneers with "messages of peace, references to the blockade, the centenary of Fidel, and Cuban identity."
In Villa Clara, the youth organization noted on Facebook that pioneers “flew their kites from the Ernesto Guevara Plaza,” while in Las Tunas it was mentioned in another post that the activity was held “in salute to the 65th anniversary of the OPJM.”
In Matanzas, educational institutions promoted the event under the slogan “For Peace and Against the Blockade,” as seen in this post.
The authorities also highlighted the reading of a "collective letter to imperialism" written by pioneers, as well as the organization of contests related to the activity.
The posts generated critical reactions on social media. "Please don’t use the children for your dirty politics, leave them in peace, they are already suffering enough because of that system," wrote one user. Another comment questioned, "What do children know about embargoes, communism, or socialism?" It also read, "Please keep the children out of your ideology."
Some messages also referenced the living conditions in the country, amidst prolonged blackouts and food shortages.
In Havana, preschool children were directed to chant slogans such as “Fidel” and “socialism” during a school activity. At another time, a park in El Vedado was occupied by an event that involved minors while university students were attempting to gather at the location, in a context where a student meeting had been called.
While the authorities present these initiatives as educational activities and opportunities for youth participation, criticism is focused on the role of minors in such events and the social context in which they take place.
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