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The post by Miguel Díaz-Canel on Facebook rejecting the new U.S. sanctions became the stage for a deluge of criticism from Cubans weary of blackouts, hunger, and speeches on Tuesday, with comments ranging from "Tick tock, your time is short" to "Resign now."
The trigger was the announcement on Monday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio of a new wave of sanctions against 11 regime officials and three government organizations —the Intelligence Directorate (DGI/G2), MININT, and the Revolutionary National Police— under Executive Order 14404 signed by Donald Trump on May 1.
Díaz-Canel responded on his social media, stating that "in the leadership of our Party, State, Government, and its military institutions, no one has assets or property to protect under United States jurisdiction," and described the executive order as "immoral, illegal, and criminal."
He also stated that "the U.S. government knows very well, to the point that there is not even evidence to present," and labeled the situation as "an act of genocide."
The citizen response on his Facebook profile was immediate and overwhelming. Dozens of Cubans seized the opportunity to express their frustration regarding power outages, hunger, and the fatigue with official rhetoric.
"Tic tac, you're running out of time," wrote a user. Others were more direct: "Resign now," "Leave and let Cuba live," and "You are the problem in Cuba."
Power outages and the economic crisis dominated much of the comments. "I've been hours without electricity and you with this nonsense," a Cuban claimed. "Get creative and solve the electricity issue," added another. Messages like "More outages and fewer stories," "You can't fill the refrigerator with speeches," and "Less propaganda and more food" were also repeated.
Many comments also questioned the official narrative regarding the embargo and U.S. sanctions. "67 years blaming the enemy," wrote one internet user. "The problem isn't the embargo, it's the mismanagement," noted another. Some even sarcastically commented on the leader's statements: "Not under U.S. jurisdiction... and what about Spain?" and "So it must also be a lie that GAESA exists."
The overall tone reflected a growing weariness of the official narrative and a loss of political fear among many citizens. "The Cuban has awakened," "Homeland and Life," "No one believes them anymore," and "The game is over" were some of the most repeated phrases.
The pattern repeats: every time Díaz-Canel publishes messages blaming the embargo, Cubans respond by demanding concrete solutions to the shortage of food and electricity.
On May 8, after the sanctions on GAESA, a user had already written to him: "The measures are not against the people; they are against GAESA, which you don't even have access to that money. Stop creating smokescreens. Just let go of the power."
The context is that of a Cuba in severe energy crisis: in Havana, blackouts exceed 19 hours daily in May, and on May 13, 65% of the territory experienced simultaneous power outages.
Washington has announced two sanction packages in less than two weeks: on May 7, Washington had already sanctioned GAESA and Moa Nickel S.A. under the same executive order.
Among the officials appointed on Monday are Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the PCC; Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly; and Ministers Mayra Arevich Marín (Communications), Vicente de la O Levy (Energy and Mines), and Rosabel Gamón Verde (Justice), along with several generals from the FAR.
Rubio warned that "more sanctions will come" in the coming days and weeks, as part of an accumulated pressure that since January 2026 has totaled more than 240 measures from the Trump administration against the regime.
"The Cuban has already awakened," concluded one of the comments on the leader's wall.
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