Amid the growing debate about internet access in Cuba and proposals like the potential arrival of Starlink on the island, a prominent voice within the Cuban-American community has put forth an idea that directly targets the country's future. According to him, Cubans could become global leaders in technological adaptation if the current barriers are removed.
Modesto Maidique, former rector of Florida International University (FIU), stated this in an interview with CiberCuba, where he claimed that if Cuba opens up and embraces new technologies, Cubans "will break world records in adaptation."
The statement is particularly relevant at a time when the United States has proposed to the Cuban government to allow the installation of Starlink, the satellite internet system by Elon Musk, with the promise of providing fast and unrestricted connectivity across the island. For many Cubans, this would represent a radical change in their access to information and their development opportunities.
Maidique does not speak from speculation. He was the first Cuban-American to lead a university in the United States and headed FIU for nearly three decades, from 1981 to 2009, during which he transformed the institution into an international academic benchmark.
From his experience, the potential of Cubans is undeniable. What is lacking, according to his perspective, are the conditions. “We have seen it outside of Cuba,” his words suggest, citing the performance of the diaspora as an example.
The Cuban-American business community generates around 55 billion dollars annually, a figure that reflects not only economic success but also adaptability, innovation, and resilience in highly competitive contexts.
That same talent, the analysis implicitly insists, exists within the island, but remains limited by an environment where access to technology, connectivity, and free enterprise continues to be restricted.
In that sense, the debate about the internet in Cuba is no longer just a technical issue but has become a matter of the future. What would happen if millions of Cubans could connect without restrictions, access unfiltered information, and fully participate in the digital economy?
Maidique's legacy reinforces that vision of possibility. Decades after his tenure, FIU continues to be a symbol of the advancement of the Cuban-American community, with figures like Jeanette Núñez at the helm of the institution, the first Cuban-American to serve as its president.
Beyond the data and the figures, his message connects with a deeply human reality: the capacity of Cubans to reinvent themselves when opportunities arise. And in a context where the island is facing one of its worst economic and technological crises, his words resonate as both a warning and, at the same time, a promise of what could be.
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