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The Cuban singer Camila Cabello surprised the audience at Coachella 2026 last Sunday by appearing as a guest on Young Thug's stage to perform "Havana" together, and took the opportunity to dedicate an emotional message of solidarity to the people of the island.
After the performance, the Cuban-American singer published a reflection on , describing the moment as "moving and bittersweet": singing "half of my heart is in Havana" in front of thousands felt like a weighty symbolic moment that she couldn't overlook.
who feels pain for a beautiful country and a culture that has been drained and abused for so many years by an oppressive dictatorship," Cabello wrote, accompanying his post with photos holding the Cuban flag and the hashtag #SOSCuba.
The artist also emphasized the pride she feels for her people: "The beauty of our people is our ability to persevere and feel proud of where we come from, and to have the hope that better days are ahead."
The message had two reasons for celebration for Cabello: supporting Young Thug—whom he refers to as "Jeffrey" and describes as "the kindest and most talented"—on his night as the headliner at Coachella, and the reunion on stage with the song that marked his career.
It was the first time Cabello and Young Thug performed "Havana" together live since the opening of the 2019 Grammys, on February 10 of that year.
"Havana" was released in August 2017 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2018, becoming Cabello's first major solo hit and an anthem that celebrates her Cuban roots.
Coachella 2026 will take place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in its 25th edition, featuring two weekends of performances.
The message this Sunday is not an isolated gesture: Cabello has a sustained history of activism in support of the Cuban people.
In February 2026, he published a lengthy statement in which he denounced 67 years of a failed dictatorship and an oppressive regime, describing the repression, blackouts, shortages of food and medicine, and the imprisonment of minors who peacefully protest.
That statement generated public acknowledgment from the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Assistance, Jeremy Lewin, who thanked Cabello for highlighting the humanitarian work of Cáritas Cuba, the organization through which the Trump administration channeled six million dollars in direct aid to the Cuban people, without the regime's mediation.
Lewin declared on that occasion that the United States will continue to support and stand by the Cuban people.
Cabello was born in Havana in 1997 and emigrated to the United States in 2002. Since then, she has turned her artistic platform into a constant voice for the demands of freedom on the island: she supported the protests on July 11, 2021, shouted "Homeland and Life" at the Latin Grammys that September, and in October 2024 dressed as a dancer from the Tropicana Cabaret with the message "For a free Cuba."
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