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Cuban actress Verónica Medina Padrón, a member of the officialist movement Los Pañuelos Rojos, sparked a heated debate on social media after posting a story featuring her nine-year-old daughter, blaming the U.S. embargo for the prolonged blackouts that Cuba is experiencing.
The post, shared on Facebook and widely circulated over the weekend, recounts how the girl, Violeta, witnessed a pots-and-pans protest for the first time after being without electricity for 24 hours and asked, “How does that reach Trump's ears?”
From that anecdote, Medina Padrón argued that the protests should be directed against the United States and not against the Cuban government.
"The enemy signs papers in Washington while here the children clench their stomachs and the refrigerators remain lukewarm," wrote the actress, who described the embargo as a "slow genocide."
The publication appeared just days after Miguel Díaz-Canel stated in an interview with the Puerto Rican weekly Claridad that those protesting the blackouts should “bang their pots at the neighbors to the north”, holding Washington accountable for the energy crisis the island is experiencing.
Medina Padrón's message reiterates that argument, but through a personal narrative featuring his daughter.
However, the reaction from users was mostly critical.
Many internet users recalled that blackouts have been part of Cuban reality for decades, long before the current U.S. administration.
"I didn't know Trump had been president since '59. There have always been blackouts," wrote a user.
Others directed their criticism at the differences between the population and the ruling elite.
"Tell Violeta that the Castro family and the top leaders don’t experience blackouts," commented another user.
There were also those who questioned the very construction of the narrative.
"It's the first time I've seen a pot-banging protest, but she already knows who Trump is," joked a user, while others pointed out that using a child to defend a political stance undermined the credibility of the message.
Among the most shared responses was one from a user who wrote: "The problem is not that a girl strikes a cauldron. The problem is that there are people who need to use a girl to justify or discredit the discontent of an entire people. Ideas should be defended with facts, not with emotional manipulation."
A crisis that continues to worsen
The controversy coincides with one of the most critical moments in the Cuban electrical system.
This Sunday, the Electric Union (UNE) forecasted a deficit of 2,221 megawatts during peak demand hours, with an available capacity of only 1,050 MW against an estimated demand of 3,100 MW. This situation indicates simultaneous disruptions for nearly 72% of the country.
The system is also affected by the outage of eleven thermoelectric units and a severe fuel shortage.
Independent specialists attribute the crisis primarily to the accumulated deterioration of energy infrastructure after years of insufficient investment and maintenance. The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest in the country, has been in operation for 38 years and has not received major maintenance since 2010.
This is not the first time that Medina Padrón has sparked debate with his publications.
In March 2024, after staying nearly 20 days without water in his home, he wrote on social media that “leading people to the point of protest is a political responsibility”. The post was later removed amidst numerous criticisms.
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