The presenters of the government program Con Filo, Michel Torres Corona and Gabriela Fernández Álvarez, published a video on Facebook announcing in a mocking tone the creation of "their own political party," in a satire directly aimed at the proliferation of opposition initiatives in the Cuban exile community.
The video, recorded from the editing booth of the show, shows Torres explaining the decision with irony: "We are going to launch our political project, our party, seeing that it is in vogue, that it is something that practically everyone has their party, we have also decided to have ours."
Torres added that they considered a name with history: "We wanted to name it the Communist Party, but that name was already taken." The presenter announced that the final name would be revealed that same night on the show, and ended with a jab about funding: "The most important thing, which is the funding, is already in place."
Fernández Álvarez, for his part, acknowledged in the video that he was not aware of all the details: "I'm really just finding out about many things now. I mean, I knew about the party, but we still lack information on the name and all of that."
Reactions on social media were swift and mostly characterized by a mocking tone and irony. Numerous users took advantage of the play on words with "match" to respond sarcastically: "What time does the match start and who are they playing against?", "Match where?", or "Madrid or Barcelona, which match?" some wrote.
One of the most repeated lines was the suggestion of fictional names for the supposed organization, many of them laden with satire and derogatory references. Among the proposals were “United Singaos Party,” “Party of the Rams,” “Fart Party,” “Catfish Party,” or “Blackout Party,” while others summed up the general tone with phrases like “you are a joke yourselves” and “this program is better than Vivir del cuento.”
There were also many reactions that highlighted the reality of the Cuban political system. "But can there be more than one party in Cuba?" asked one user, while another recalled, "In Cuba, it can't be done...". Along the same lines, one comment cited Article 5 of the Cuban Constitution, which recognizes the Communist Party as "the only one," and questioned, "Are they mocking the Constitution?"
Amid the flood of messages, there were those who interpreted the content as a hint or provocation. “They don’t even realize it’s sarcasm; it’s a dig at Amelia Calzadilla,” commented one user. However, the common thread was the predominance of a critical tone, with few supportive messages and a clear tendency towards mockery: “you just have to read the comments,” “the comments speak for themselves,” and “not a single positive comment” were some of the reactions that summed up the atmosphere of the debate.
The mockery comes after the recent announcement by Amelia Calzadilla about the creation of a party, the Orthodox Liberal Party of Cuba, a center-right liberal party, with the slogan "Justice, Dignity, and Prosperity," grounded in Marti's ideology and free market principles.
Calzadilla, who lived in Cuba for 32 years before exiling in November 2023 with her husband and three children, explained that it was the regime's harassment that turned her into an opponent: "I learned the hard way that Castro's propaganda does not forgive the honest; it was their constant threats, discrediting, defamation, and harassment that pushed me to become an activist and opposition member."
The announcement from Calzadilla generated a wave of support among Cuban expatriates, with figures such as activist Saily González Velázquez, who wrote: "Finally, there is a party that represents me. With Amelia Calzadilla, of course."
The comedian Ulises Toirac also reacted to Calzadilla's project, acknowledging her preparation and determination.
Con Filo is a state television program launched on August 11, 2021, just a month after the historic protests of July 11th, created as a media tool by the regime to attack dissenters and discredit opponents. Torres has been at the center of multiple controversies: in March 2026, he called the protesters in Morón "beasts", and in April he published a critique of Sandro Castro that was censored on the program itself.
The satirical video from Con Filo once again illustrates the use of humor as a tool for discrediting institutions against the Cuban opposition, at a time when figures outside the regime apparatus choose to support, albeit with some nuances, the initiatives that the program aims to ridicule.
Filed under: