Manolín, El Médico de la Salsa, stated in an interview with Tania Costa that he has lost all hope for a correction in the Cuban regime and that the dictatorship must be overthrown "by any means necessary," marking a dramatic shift in his public stance.
The singer, who had historically been a critic of the government but always left the possibility for change from within, explained that that door has now closed forever. "I believe the end has come. And that’s what has changed in me. I have always been a critic of them. But before, I left the door open," he confessed.
His message is now unequivocal. "The dictatorship is down. It’s over. It’s already over. We cannot expect anything from them. It has been proven."
Manuel 'Manolín' González Hernández asserts that Cuba does not belong to any ruling group. "The country belongs to everyone. We are not obligated to forever obey a group that dictates how things should be according to their whims."
The artist was emphatic in describing the nature of the regime. "They do not respect laws, nor do they even respect their own laws. The ones they impose, which are absurd, well, they break those too. They override everything and apply it to you."
For Manolín, repression affects not only those who suffer from it directly but also the entire Cuban society. He cited the case of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, leader of the San Isidro Movement, as an example of this collective logic. “When you imprison Luis Manuel Alcántara, you are imprisoning me too. Everyone. His family. His friends. What are they thinking?”
The People’s Supreme Court of Havana confirmed in April 2026 that Otero Alcántara's sentence extends until July 9, 2026, rejecting an appeal. Amnesty International recognizes him as a prisoner of conscience, and the UN considers his detention arbitrary.
Manolín also rejected the idea that thinking differently is a crime. "It is a crime to take retaliation against someone for their ideas. That is indeed a crime. Thinking and having ideas is not a crime. It is very much a part of being human. It is the essence of being human."
In this regard, he clarified that his personal journey is proof of that repression. He has been prohibited in Cuba for 30 years: first banned from radio and television, and then stripped of his right to work when he remained popular despite the restrictions, as he mentioned in the interview with CiberCuba.
"That's why I went to Miami. It was an expulsion because I wanted to continue my career, and I couldn't sing in Cuba," he clarified, debunking the narrative that his departure was a voluntary decision.
Some accuse him of staying "between first and second," in the middle, without fully defining himself. He rejected that interpretation and reaffirmed that he has always been critical, though with nuances that he no longer maintains.
His final message to the regime summarizes the transformation of his stance. "You have the obligation to create a country for everyone. As long as there is not a country for everyone, there is no justice here. There is no justice in Cuba if the country is not for everyone. But I have already lost hope. It must be brought down at all costs."
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