An informal poll published on Facebook by Cuban activist Elieser El Bayardo with the question "Do you want Díaz-Canel to leave power?" became a viral phenomenon this weekend, accumulating thousands of comments in just a few hours with a resounding outcome: the vast majority of participants, connecting from the Island, answered affirmatively.
The publication arrived at a particularly opportune moment: just a day after Díaz-Canel stated in an interview with NBC News that resignation "is not part of our vocabulary", and that he would only consider stepping down "if the Cuban people understand that I am unfit for the position", during his first appearance on U.S. television since Fidel Castro participated in the same program, "Meet the Press", in 1959.
El Bayardo himself emphasized the significance of the exercise: "It may seem silly, but it isn’t. In just 3 hours, there were over 8,000 comments, and practically 95% say yes, that he should step down from power. Furthermore, I can assure you that more than 59% of the views on the post are from Cuba."
That fact —that more than half of those who viewed the survey are within the Island, where internet access is limited and repression for participating in digital environments is increasing— lends considerable symbolic weight to the exercise, despite its informal and non-binding nature.
The comments from Cubans ranged between sarcasm and genuine exasperation. "Even he knows the answer," wrote one user. Another was more emphatic: "I want him to be removed from the life and history of Cubans." A third user chose multilingualism as a way to emphasize their point: "Yes, Yes, Oui, Sì, Sim, Ja... there's my answer in 10 languages; it's not that I'm a polyglot, it's that I wanted it to be understood worldwide."
Humor was certainly present: "Sure, but he shouldn't go alone; he should take the whole crew with him"; nor was there a lack of direct irony: "I think that question is unnecessary."
But there were also voices that warned that the problem goes beyond a single person. "We would all like that, but changing one for another doesn’t solve anything. What we need are democracy and justice," wrote a participant. Another concluded with a phrase that captures the feelings of many: "The most important thing is a free and democratic Cuba; in the end, one appointed position can be replaced by another. Homeland and Life."
The context in which this survey arises cannot be overlooked. In his interview with host Kristen Welker, Díaz-Canel not only refused to resign but also countered with visible irritation: “Do you ask that question to Trump? Does it come from the U.S. State Department?” Welker responded that she had asked equally tough questions to Trump and other presidents.
The El Bayardo survey serves, then, as the response that the Cuban people could not give directly to the leader: the same question he dodged on television, answered by thousands from inside and outside the Island. This does not include the direct response that has been coming since July 2021 through the systematic and increasing popular protests that have not ceased even with the ongoing repression.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. In January of this year, a 24-year-old woman from Santiago de Cuba was summoned by State Security and forced to delete a viral survey on Facebook that invited people to vote for Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, or for Díaz-Canel. The pattern is consistent: whenever a space for informal expression opens up, the rejection of the leader is overwhelming. Will he ever listen to his people?
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