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The Cuban filmmaker and activist Ian Padrón published a video on his official Facebook page this Saturday in which he denounces one of the most blatant contradictions of the Cuban regime: while for decades it accused the opposition of being "paid by the empire," today that same regime prefers to meet in secret with Washington rather than listen to the demands of the Cuban people.
"We have always been told in Cuba that the Cuban dissidents, all of us who oppose the Cuban dictatorship, are paid by the empire, that we are subjects of an empire, of the enemy, and that we are playing into the enemy's hands," Padrón notes in the video, which promotes a more extensive analysis on his YouTube channel "Derecho a Réplica."
The central argument of the activist points directly to the hypocrisy of the official discourse: the regime has built its legitimacy for decades on the threat of the "Yankee enemy," but now it is the leaders themselves who negotiate with that same government behind the backs of the citizens.
"They prefer to talk to the U.S. government, listen to what the U.S. government wants, meet secretly with the U.S. government, which is supposedly their enemy, rather than listen to the people of Cuba," Padrón states.
The video comes at a time of intense diplomatic activity between Havana and Washington.
Since early 2026, secret contacts between Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were revealed starting in February, culminating in an official meeting in Havana on April 10 — the first official U.S. aircraft in Cuba since 2016.
On April 20, the United States issued a two-week ultimatum to Cuba to release high-profile political prisoners and make progress on reforms.
Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the existence of "very preliminary and initial" dialogues, but rejected any conditions regarding the political system and threatened to break off negotiations if Washington insists on internal political changes.
"Our internal problems are not on the table," declared Díaz-Canel last Tuesday.
That stance is precisely what Padrón dismantles in his analysis: the regime is willing to negotiate with any foreign power, but it refuses to acknowledge the existence of a legitimate opposition within the island itself.
"They preferred to hand over the island to China, to Russia, to the United States, to any power rather than listen to the people of Cuba who think differently," the filmmaker asserts.
At the same time, the Trump administration signed Executive Order 14380 on January 29, 2026, which cut between 80 and 90% of Cuban oil imports, worsening an energy crisis that was already causing blackouts of up to 25 hours a day on the island.
Padrón, who in November 2020 reported to the Ministry of Culture that "State Security has taken over the country," has since maintained a consistent stance: to point out the contradictions of the official discourse and to advocate for the right of Cubans—both inside and outside the island—to be heard.
"They prefer to do that rather than acknowledge that there is an opposition, rather than recognize that there are millions of Cubans who disagree," concludes the activist in the video.
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