Caridad Silvente, mother of Cuban activist Ana Sofía Benítez Silvente, better known as Anna Bensi, published this Saturday denouncing being forced to cook with charcoal in 2026, not by choice but out of absolute necessity, in a Cuba with no electricity or gas.
"Dedicated to Cuban mothers, especially to mine. I love you, Mom. You are a warrior, you always have been, but you don’t deserve to live like this. That’s why, DOWN WITH THE CUBAN DICTATORSHIP," wrote Benítez when presenting the video on his Facebook profile, accompanied by the hashtag: #Liberty.
The testimony, shared by Ana Bensi, summarizes in just over a minute the frustration of millions of Cubans caught between chronic blackouts and a leadership that, according to Caridad herself, "does have options."
"I was born in the countryside, in Baracoa, Guantánamo, so cooking with charcoal is not something foreign to me. But when it's out of pleasure... not out of necessity. For example, like now, I don't accept it," says Caridad in the video.
Its central message is striking. "I'm not going to romanticize poverty; I'm not going to settle for misery. I don't want to resist; I don't want to survive. I want to live! And the people... the common people have no options."
The comments on the video reflect a collective indignation that goes beyond the individual.
A person who visited Sancti Spíritus described the scene: "Around 6:00 PM, the whole city smells of coal. There in Sancti Spíritus, very few people cook like a normal person in the 21st century. The saddest part is that I'm sure this is how the whole country is."
Another voice summarized the exhaustion of Cuban mothers: "We are tired of inventing what to put on the table. We are ALL TIRED!"
A Cuban living abroad wrote about her elderly mother: "Every time I see her cooking over charcoal, she, at 75 years old, fills me with great sadness, anxiety, and above all, a profound sense of helplessness. Cuba needs to be free NOW!"
Another person mentioned that a family member developed allergies due to the smoke: "My dad has become allergic since he started using charcoal."
Caridad Silvente concluded her testimony with a phrase that encapsulates the mood of a generation: "I can no longer bear the truth. Down with the dictatorship and freedom for Cuba!"
The complaint carries additional weight due to the family context. Caridad Silvente and her daughter have been under house arrest for over two months since March 25, charged under Article 393 of the Cuban Penal Code — "acts against personal and family privacy" — with potential penalties ranging from two to five years in prison.
The case originated when both recorded and disseminated an irregular citation delivered by a subofficer from the Ministry of the Interior (Minint). Since then, the family has been subjected to interrogations, account hacks, phone line deactivations, and direct threats.
In April, counterintelligence agents tried to recruit Anna as an informant, offering her support for her music career. She responded: "I will never work for a dictatorship".
The video of Caridad is set against a energy crisis affecting the entire island, where power outages exceed 18 hours daily in many areas and liquefied gas is scarce, selling for up to 29 dollars per cylinder on online platforms.
While millions of Cubans are improvising charcoal stoves, a state-owned company from Camagüey exported over 150 tons of charcoal to Europe in the first quarter of 2026, with a goal of 4,000 tons for the entire year.
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