Related videos:
Cuban actors Denys Ramos, Belissa Cruz, and Niurka Reyes participated in the XXII edition of the Piña Colada Festival, held during the first week of April in Ciego de Ávila, bringing performances to rural and peripheral communities in the province while Cuba faces one of the worst economic and energy crises in its history.
The festival, organized by the musician Arnaldo Rodríguez —known as "Arnaldo y su Talismán"—, included the cultural campaign "Latir Avileño," an initiative that mobilizes artists to communities, student centers, productive areas, and socially relevant spaces in the Avilan province.
The official festival post on Facebook summarized the experience like this: "This is how joyful it is to reach the communities with these talented artists who are very loved by the people".
One of the highlights of this edition was the inclusion of Pedro Carr as the official transport company for the event. This is a Cuban small and medium-sized enterprise (mipyme) specializing in passenger transport, founded on May 8, 2022 by Pedro Yosvany Carbonell Fernández, known as "el Chino," based in Las Tunas.
The company started commercial operations on July 23, 2024, becoming the first mipyme to sell tickets through the state-owned Empresa Viajeros. Its Chinese-manufactured buses with a capacity for 48 passengers operate interprovincial routes.
The festival officially thanked the participation of the private company: "This year, Pedro Carr joined the Piña Colada Festival family and made each journey more enjoyable and safe." This event marks a milestone: it is the first time that a private transportation company has formally integrated into the logistics of this state cultural event.
The headline "Bread and Circus" is no coincidence. The Latin expression "panem et circenses" —bread and circus— historically describes the use of entertainment as a political distraction for the masses. In the current Cuban context, where shortages, blackouts, and the migration crisis are impacting the population, the mobilization of actors and artists toward communities takes on a meaning that goes beyond culture.
Denys Ramos is known for his role as Shidartha in the soap opera "Aquí estamos" (2010) and for his participation in productions such as "El derecho de soñar" (2023) and "El rostro de los días". Belissa Cruz is a Cuban actress recognized in the national artistic scene. Both joined a lineup that brought together around 100 artistic units, of which 70% belong to the Musicávila Company.
The 2025 edition, under the slogan "Culture, Tradition, and Modernity", also featured international participation from Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Suriname, Burundi, Palestine, Syria, Kenya, and South Africa. Among the Cuban artists were Havana D'Primera, la Original de Manzanillo, David Blanco, Buena Fe, Frank Delgado, and Rumbavila.
The festival was dedicated to the anniversaries of the Union of Young Communists, the José Martí Pioneer Organization, and the 150th anniversary of the first crossing of the Trocha from Júcaro to Morón by the mambista troops of Máximo Gómez, highlighting its nature as a cultural event aligned with the political calendar of the regime.
The festival's announcement concluded with a message that encapsulates the official spirit of the event: "THANK YOU and may it happen again."
Filed under: