The Cuban artist Arnaldo Rodríguez defended his support for the government campaign "My Signature for the Homeland" this Friday during an event held at the headquarters of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac) in Havana, describing his gesture as an expression of commitment to the homeland and the nation.
According to the report from the official channel Cubavisión Internacional, the event brought together intellectuals, artists, and cultural workers under the slogan of reaffirming national sovereignty and supporting the Revolutionary Government's Declaration "Girón is today and always."
Rodríguez justified his signature in light of the current political context. "This signature is an expression of commitment to the Homeland, to the nation, during a time of tension when we have been threatened as an island. And I believe that artists and intellectuals, who play such an important role in society, signing this shows the level of commitment that goes beyond even ideologies, beyond political positions," he defended.
On her part, the painter Diana Balboa stated that the initiative "transcends political positions" and defined it as "a duty of civility, of citizenship, of love for the homeland."
The event was attended by the Minister of Culture, Alpidio Alonso; the president of Uneac, Marta Bonet; and the honorary president of the organization, Miguel Barnet.
The campaign was
The leader Miguel Díaz-Canel was the first to sign, on April 20, at the Ciénaga de Zapata Memorial Museum in Matanzas, at which point he declared that the Cuban revolution "will never negotiate its principles".
Although the regime presents the initiative as a spontaneous movement of civil society, it is organized from the structures of the Central Committee of the PCC through workplaces, universities, and mass organizations such as the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
The campaign has generated massive rejection among Cubans both inside and outside the island. There have been reports of pressure and coercion to obtain signatures, with threats such as "either you sign or you know what awaits you." Neighbors in Cárdenas collectively resisted signing despite the pressure.
The activist José Daniel Ferrer, from the Cuban Patriotic Union (Unpacu), publicly urged people not to sign, describing the campaign as a show of support for the oppressors.
Independent analysts describe the smokescreen initiative as a tactic to divert attention from an economic crisis that includes a 23% contraction in GDP since 2019, prolonged blackouts, and shortages of food and medicine.
My signature is not to support dictatorships, nor eternal governments, nor surnames in power. "My signature is for the people," declared one of the countless internet users who, through social media, have expressed their disagreement with the political initiative, while also questioning the legitimacy of the regime on the island.
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