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Roberto Morales Ojeda, a member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, triggered a strong reaction on social media this Saturday by presenting the regime's response to the historic protests of July 11, 2021, as a "popular victory."
"Five years after the popular victory of July 11, 2021, we reaffirm that #CubaStandsStrong and we will always defend it. We will never deny the revolutionaries that right! #TheHomelandIsDefended," wrote the leader on his X account, along with an image of the Cuban flag.
Far from reinforcing the official narrative, the message sparked a flood of critical responses, mostly from users who rejected the government's version of July 11.
"You have no shame, in Cuba there are no revolutionaries, they are criminals privileged by a dictatorship," wrote an internet user.
Another questioned the use of the term "victory": "Is it a victory to order the beating and imprisonment of a hungry people asking for freedom and a dignified life?"
There were also those who recalled the visit of Morales Ojeda and the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel to San Antonio de los Baños, where protests erupted and both were met with bottles and shouts from the population. "A free Cuba awaits you. Neither forgetfulness nor forgiveness," commented a user.
Another response summarized the rejection of the regime's actions during those days: "Victory Day, where we were able to bring out the worst in you. We saw how you didn't care about massacring an entire defenseless people to stay in power, but that won't last forever."
July 11, 2021, marked the largest wave of protests recorded in Cuba in more than six decades. The demonstrations began in San Antonio de los Baños, in the province of Artemisa, and spread to more than 40 cities and towns across the country, driven by discontent over shortages, power outages, and the lack of freedoms.
The regime's response was a widespread repressive operation. Díaz-Canel called on television for "revolutionaries" to take to the streets to confront the protesters, while security forces and shock groups repressed the demonstrations.
As a result, the young Diubis Laurencio Tejeda was killed by a gunshot in La Güinera, and more than 1,400 people were detained, many of whom were subsequently sentenced to long prison terms.
Five years later, the dictatorship remains steadfast in its position of total impunity, with at least 338 people imprisoned directly for their participation in the 11J.
Likewise, the April pardon for over 2,000 inmates explicitly excluded them as it did not apply to those convicted of "crimes against authority."
According to the organization Prisoners Defenders, Cuba records a historic high of between 1,260 and 1,306 political prisoners, including 40 minors who were arrested as teenagers.
This anniversary is also marked by the case of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, leader of the San Isidro Movement, who was removed from the Guanajay prison by State Security on July 7 without informing his family, despite the fact that his five-year sentence was set to expire two days later.
Amnesty International classified the case as forced disappearance, and the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances initiated an Urgent Action on July 9.
Also this Saturday, a young woman detained during the 11J in Camagüey broke her silence for the first time. Ariadna Pérez described 96 hours of psychological torment and continuous interrogations. "I was detained for 96 hours, which helped me understand how the dictatorship works," she stated.
While the regime celebrates a supposed "victory," Cuba has gone from more than 11 million to nearly nine million inhabitants in just five years, reflecting the massive exodus caused by the crisis and repression.
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