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The Cuban comedian Ulises Toirac harshly questioned the holding of the V International Homeland Colloquium and reprimanded the Cuban regime regarding the organization of political events during challenging times in the country. He also warned that he will not join government campaigns.
"Wasn't it better to have a dialogue for the homeland with everyone and for the good of all? It's better to avoid war (and its costs at such a tough time). A war that I don't want either. I don't want it. But I believe that by holding dialogues with 'part of' the community, rather than avoiding it, we are encouraging it," said Toirac on Facebook.
In the post, he also mocked the temporary improvement in the electricity supply in La Habana, which coincided exactly with the days of the colloquium and the official events.
"Having so much light has me feeling anxious," wrote Toirac, reflecting the widespread distrust among Cubans towards what many interpret as a political manipulation of the electricity service.
A follower, Teresa Rebollar, confirmed it in the comments: "I knew it... so much electricity and an international colloquium (with the usual suspects) going on, it wasn’t a coincidence."
Toirac concluded his post with another sarcastic message, this time regarding the My Signature for the Homeland campaign, launched on April 19 by Díaz-Canel to collect signatures in support of the statement "Girón is today and always."
"No I don't know... I'm already exhausted, skeptical, without hope that they will even recognize the seriousness. (...) Ah... The chikungunya won't let me sign," the comedian warned ironically. This remark refers to the crisis in the healthcare system and the pain that the mentioned disease leaves in thousands of Cubans.
The petition campaign was also publicly rejected by opposition figure Manuel Cuesta Morúa, activist José Daniel Ferrer, Lara Crofs, and intellectual Miryorly García, who urged people not to join the official mobilization.
This post represents the peak of exhaustion expressed by Toirac after a week of sustained criticism: on April 16, he described the official event at 23 and 12 in Vedado as a "waste of resources"; on April 15, he responded to Díaz-Canel's interview on NBC by stating that 1.25 million Cubans emigrated between 2021 and 2024; and on April 13, he characterized the dialogue between the United States and Cuba as an approach between two animals that distrust each other.
A follower, José Álvarez, summed up what many Cubans feel in the comments: "The common people are the only true victims of both the external and internal blockades. No matter how difficult the situation gets, the fat cats who lead us will always have electricity and luxuries for themselves and their families."
The V International Colloquium Patria brought together from April 16 to 18 in Havana 154 international delegates from 23 countries and over 3,000 national participants. It was closed by Miguel Díaz-Canel.
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