The Cuban actress María Teresa Pina posted a video on her Facebook page in which she draws a direct comparison between the political thoughts of José Martí and Fidel Castro, concluding that the moral gap between the two is "enormous".
In the video, Pina argues that Martí envisioned a radically inclusive nation: "Martí did not impose any conditions on humanity when speaking about the nation. Martí spoke of a merciful nation where all men would participate equally."
In contrast, the artist describes the model imposed by Castro as a nation subordinated to political thought: "If you are with me, if you think as I think, you are part of this accepted society. If not, you are not accepted, you are rejected, you are expelled from the country."
María Teresa identifies the root of the historical fracture there: "This is where the first dichotomy in the political thought of both men begins. One thinks of the integrated Cuban, the Cuban who is part of the social change, an active participant. And the other excludes, punishes, diminishes."
The video includes the hashtag #freedomforpoliticalprisoners, connecting historical reflection with the current human rights crisis in Cuba, where more than 1,000 political prisoners have been documented.
This statement adds to a pattern of vocal activism that Pina has maintained from exile.
In January 2026, the actress had already publicly denounced that the regime is "cynically and cruelly destroying a people", and described the damage caused by decades of repression as an "irreversible human deterioration" that persists even after emigrating.
The contrast outlined by Pina has a solid historical foundation. José Martí founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in 1892 under the motto "With everyone and for the good of everyone" and defined the homeland as "a community of interests, a unity of traditions, a unity of purposes."
Fidel Castro, for his part, established in 1961 the maxim "Within the Revolution, everything; against the Revolution, nothing," which became the guiding principle of cultural and political exclusion under the regime.
Pina left Cuba in 2017 for Mexico with her partner, the announcer Niro de la Rúa, and later settled in Florida.
Known for telenovelas such as "El eco de las piedras," "A pesar de todo," and "El balcón de los helechos," she resumed her television career in Miami in November 2023 alongside actor Armando Tomey in the series "Crimen en Miami."
"A respected Cuban must feel a pain and anger at the fact that they are gradually killing your people," Pina stated in January, in a phrase that encapsulates the tone of his activism and resonates strongly with each new public intervention.
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