Related videos:
A Cuban journalism student stated publicly this Friday that the recent economic reforms demonstrate that the stagnation in Cuba was more a result of political decisions than external constraints.
The post by young Gabriel Hernández on social media has sparked reactions due to the harshness of his criticisms of the Cuban political and economic model, just one day after the National Assembly approved a package of 176 reforms aimed at restructuring the country's economy.
"The measures could have been taken a long time ago, but they are only doing it now because either it suits them, or they genuinely have no other option," wrote the university student, who believed that the announced changes dismantle the official narrative that for years attributed the national crisis mainly to the U.S. embargo.
For Hernández, the approval of the reforms shows that "the people were never the reason for any aspiration to improve" and that there was a deliberate resistance to modifying essential aspects of the system. "Yesterday it was demonstrated that it is possible to bypass the blockade and open up," he asserted.
The student also directed his criticisms at the regime's socialist discourse. He argued that several of the approved economic measures contradict principles that the State itself has upheld for decades.
"It would be about time to eliminate socialism as an irrevocable characteristic," he noted, questioning the existence of companies that sell products inaccessible to a large part of the population.
In his reflection, Hernández described a reality marked by prolonged blackouts, food shortages, urban decay, and dependence on remittances sent from abroad. He stated that without family support from other countries, it is impossible for many Cubans to maintain normal living conditions.
The young man also questioned the state of higher education. He criticized online teaching amid power outages and connectivity issues, rejected the notion that education should be completely free, and highlighted the limitations that, in his view, future journalists face in exercising their profession with independence.
"When I graduate, the very laws of my country will prevent me from practicing free journalism, without following the party line," he wrote.
Although he acknowledged the medical care he received after a heart surgery, he took the opportunity to contrast his experience with the challenges faced by patients, doctors, and families in Cuba.
He also reported on the living conditions in the university dormitories, which have been impacted by power outages and shortages.
This complaint coincides with requests from Cuban university students to the Minister of Higher Education submitted in March 2026, which did not receive a concrete response.
The publication concluded with a general critique of the state of the country, describing it as a nation marked by trash accumulating in the streets, crumbling buildings, a lack of water, the proliferation of diseases, vulnerable elderly individuals, and the absence of spaces to express citizen discontent.
Although he rejected any scenario of foreign intervention, he argued that international pressure ultimately influenced the adoption of reforms that, in his opinion, should have been implemented years ago.
His publication concludes with a remark that points directly to external pressure as the trigger for the changes: "Although there was pressure from the United States to make something happen, right?"
The student's reflection resonates with an admission from the ruler himself, Miguel Díaz-Canel, during the Plenary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party: "There are obstacles that do not come from outside or from blockades", acknowledging the slowness, bureaucracy, and decisions deferred for years.
However, he expressed doubts about the real impact of the measures and warned that they could end up benefiting only privileged sectors. "I hope I’m wrong," he concluded.
The Cuban economist Rolando Luis Pérez Vizcaíno described the political system in April as a "stopped train pretending to move forward", an image that Hernández's text transforms into a citizen argument with a name and surname.
Filed under: