While the regime organized parades for May Day across the country this Friday, the iconic Trocha street in Santiago de Cuba was almost deserted in a video shared by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, which summarizes in 18 seconds the true state of a city lacking the spirit or reasons to celebrate.
The comments from the people of Santiago in the post were quite eloquent. "What are they going to celebrate if there's no electricity," wrote Nalia Pera.
"It's just that there is no money, and the little that exists is for food," added Joaquin Antonio Perz Pavón. "People are trying to solve their problems; they're not focused on that," summarized Blanquita Blanca La Rosa.
Others were more direct. "It's been too much; they have killed dreams, hopes, joy, and that festive spirit that Cubans had. Damned dictators have destroyed my country," wrote Rafhael Cabello.
Leo Milanés reminisced about different times when "you couldn't walk because of the crowd," while Aissa López declared, "There is nothing to celebrate here, that's the reality."
On its part, images shared by the Facebook page Culturales en Santiago de Cuba highlighted the presence of the Orquesta Chepin Choven on Trocha and Calle 6, in front of a small group of spectators.
The frustration has specific causes. Santiago de Cuba is among the five provinces with extreme food insecurity according to an April report from the Food Monitor Program.
Similarly, the Provincial Electric Company confirmed power outages of up to 24 hours daily, and the cost of living exceeds 50,000 pesos per month per person, while the average state salary is around 15 dollars.
The scene on May Day in Santiago was not limited to empty streets. Dozens of recently released ex-prisoners were forced to march under the threat of losing legal benefits or returning to prison, according to documented complaints by Mayeta himself. "They didn’t go out of conviction. They went out of fear," the journalist stated.
Furthermore, he was emphatic about the essence of the matter. "The most serious issue is not forcing someone to march. The most serious issue is turning parole into an invisible chain. Using fear as a political tool is not patriotism. It is control," he emphasized
The case of a Cuban residing in Spain who exposed his father also went viral after seeing him parading with a drink in hand in Plaza Antonio Maceo, while he supports him financially from abroad.
"Even if it’s my blood, go ahead, Mayeta," the son authorized. He then stated, "Completely sad. I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and see many messages that only care about financial help, and seeing this now disappoints me."
In parallel, the Cuban state media insisted on showcasing massive parades that are contradicted by citizen videos. In Havana, the regime moved the central event from the Plaza de la Revolución to the Anti-Imperialist Tribuna—a more compact space—justifying it as "austerity," which analysts interpreted as a tacit acknowledgment of their inability to mobilize large crowds.
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