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The official Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), its National Unions, and the National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers issued a grandiloquent declaration on April 24 asserting that "Cuba does not surrender" and that they are backed "by the determination, resilience, and strength of the united people", in support of the political campaign "My Signature for the Homeland" promoted by the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The text, published in the newspaper Trabajadores —the official organ of the CTC itself—, states that "Cuban workers are living through defining moments and love for the land that gave us birth" and that "in the toughest scenarios, the revolutionary government is constantly seeking alternatives to alleviate daily tensions." A description that, in light of the reality faced by the Island, is difficult to uphold with a straight face.
That "hardest scenario" referred to in the statement includes power outages of more than 20 hours daily in most provinces, with some areas experiencing over 30 consecutive hours without electricity. The electric deficit reached up to 1,945 megawatts during nighttime peaks, and the national electrical system has completely collapsed seven times in the past 18 months. Daily, tens of thousands of Cubans are left without drinking water as a direct consequence of the power outages.
While the CTC proclaims that "working together, creatively, firmly, and with conviction that we will overcome adversity, whatever it may be, is our only philosophy of life," 89% of the Cuban population lives in extreme poverty. The economy has contracted by 23% since 2019, and an additional contraction of 7.2% is projected for 2026. The minimum pensions for retirees are 4,000 Cuban pesos, equivalent to less than ten dollars at the informal exchange rate.
The campaign "My Signature for the Homeland," which the CTC presents as a spontaneous act of love for the country, was launched on April 19 by Díaz-Canel in Ciénaga de Zapata in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Playa Girón, and aims to collect millions of signatures before May 1st.
What the official text omits is that workers in Matanzas and other territories have been threatened with termination if they refuse to sign, according to documented reports from April 22. José Daniel Ferrer, Lara Crofs, and other critical voices from the opposition and activism have stated clearly: "No signatures in favor of tyranny."
La respuesta popular a la campaña ha sido elocuente. Cubans on social media demand free elections en lugar de firmas. Una cubana identificada como Claudia González escribió el viernes: My dignity has no price. Un poema viral titulado "No firmo", del creador de contenido José Martínez, circuló el jueves criticando la decadencia del régimen. Según la Cuban Organization for Human Rights, el 78% de los cubanos desea emigrar.
The CTC itself indirectly acknowledged the magnitude of the disaster by calling for the May 1st celebration under the slogan "The Homeland is Defended," but asking to celebrate with the rationality that we have had to adopt in light of the imposed restrictions: a veiled confession that the massive parades of previous years —huge public budget expenditures on propaganda— are no longer viable.
The text of the statement concludes with the slogan: "Those who oppose us will never break Cuba because we are a people of Homeland or Death. And we will overcome!". What do they mean by "overcome"? Which people will they count on?
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