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A collective survey on political and social perspectives in Cuba, launched this Thursday by a coalition of over 20 independent digital media outlets, gathers in real-time what Cubans want to preserve and what they wish to eliminate in light of a possible political transition on the island.
The initiative, promoted among others by El Toque and Rialta, consists of 32 questions divided into seven sections and will remain active until May 1.
The available data, based on 4,324 responses collected within the first 48 hours, is updated anonymously in the interactive survey panel, broken down by province, age, education level, and political opinion.
One of the questions, "What deserves to be preserved and what should disappear from the current system?" takes on special significance in a country where the regime has historically used achievements in health and education to legitimize the socialist model.
Preliminary data points in a clear direction: 75.1% of participants believe that Cuba should transition to a capitalist model of liberal democracy and a market economy.
16.5% prefer a mixed system that combines socialist and capitalist elements, while only 1.9% believe in reforming the current model, and a symbolic 0.1% want to keep it as it is.
Adding together those who support a market democracy and those who prefer a mixed system, more than 91% back some form of deep structural change.
Dissatisfaction with the current system is almost unanimous, as 92% of participants report being very dissatisfied—rated one on a scale from one to five—with the current government, and 96% express some degree of dissatisfaction. Only 2% show any level of contentment.
"The population not only wants a different model, but is also deeply dissatisfied with the current system. This paints a very clear picture: high social pressure for profound structural change, not superficial reforms," the analysis of the preliminary results notes.
Among the government figures assessed, the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel has the highest level of rejection, with an average score of 1.11 out of five, and 93.7% of respondents giving him the lowest possible rating.
The government as a whole receives an average score of 1.09, with 94% marking the absolute minimum of trust.
Open responses are equally revealing. "Anyone connected to the upper echelons of this government offers no confidence in the future," wrote one participant. Another noted, "None of them perform favorably; they are all puppets."
The survey arises during the worst economic moment for this Caribbean country since 1959. The GDP has fallen by 23% since 2019, with a projection of -7.2% for 2026, while Cuba and Haiti were the only countries in Latin America to experience a decline in GDP in 2025, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
Likewise, power outages can last up to 20 hours a day, and the informal dollar exchange rate is 400 Cuban pesos.
These results align with previously documented trends. In May 2024, only 3% of Cubans firmly identified as socialists and 85.9% desired a shift towards a more open model, according to CubaData.
As the call is still open until May 1, any conclusions should be viewed as a partial reflection of the moment, subject to change as new responses are added.
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