Related videos:
Just hours before its official closure, the independent survey on political and social perspectives in Cuba surpassed 41,658 total responses, according to the live dashboard at encuestascuba.net, with 2,552 new entries recorded in the last 24 hours alone.
The initiative was launched on April 25 by a coalition of more than 20 independent Cuban digital media outlets, including El Toque, CiberCuba, 14ymedio, Árbol Invertido, Rialta, Alas Tensas, and Café Fuerte. From day one, the Cuban regime blocked the survey URL, forcing participants within the island to connect using a VPN.
Of the total responses, 58% —approximately 24,211— came from within Cuba, while the remaining 42%, about 17,447, came from abroad, according to detection via anonymous geolocation.
The results are clear: 94% of respondents expressed that they are very dissatisfied with the current government system, and 95% replied that citizens have no influence over the regime's decisions.
80% support Cuba transitioning to a capitalist model of liberal democracy and market economy, while 99% expressed favor for eliminating the Communist Party as the sole party.
Regarding the main problems of the country, 82.2% pointed to the lack of civil and political liberties, 74.8% indicated the government's inefficiency and stagnation, and 52.7% mentioned the economic crisis and the scarcity of basic goods. Only 4.7% identified the U.S. embargo as the country's primary issue.
Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel received an average rating of 1.1 out of five in their perception as government figures. Among the open responses, participants were straightforward: "No figure of the PCC in Cuba has favorable performance for me because none were elected by the Cuban people; all were appointed by Raúl Castro."
Among the opposition figures, Alina Bárbara López Hernández achieved the highest rating with 3.7 out of five, followed by Rosa María Payá with 3.6. On an international level, Marco Rubio was the highest rated with 3.9, followed by Donald Trump with 3.4. The lowest international ratings went to Delcy Rodríguez (1.6) and Claudia Sheinbaum (1.7).
The regime reacted by labeling the survey as "statistical fraud" and a "propaganda setup" through the site Razones de Cuba, linked to State Security. The official media outlet Juventud Rebelde dismissed it as manipulated by artificial intelligence and funded by the United States. The regime attacked the survey from its launch, a reaction that the organizers interpreted as a sign of its impact.
Independent critical voices, such as comedian Ulises Toirac, warned about possible biases of self-selection and urban and university overrepresentation: "It is very difficult for a survey like this to yield reliable numbers," he stated.
José Jasán Nieves, director of El Toque, summarized the scope of the exercise: “The participants overwhelmingly demand a change of system in Cuba”.
Filed under: