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A Facebook user identified as Cubano Gallo Rebelde ignited the outrage of hundreds of people by posting images of a pot on a handmade charcoal and wood stove, celebrating resilience in Cuba.
"They will not break us... at least there is something to cook... We Will Always Overcome!", said the "Rebel Rooster Cuban." The optimistic tone with which the user portrays extreme hardship as a revolutionary virtue sparked a wave of criticism and mockery.
In a second post, the same profile showcased an old and battered Moka coffee maker over glowing embers on a stove, accompanied by the following text: “Today we had to make coffee with charcoal, but it was done and enjoyed”.
The message closely mirrors the discourse that Miguel Díaz-Canel himself has promoted from the regime: on March 25, 2026, the leader publicly defended cooking with coal as an example of "creative resistance" in light of the lack of liquefied gas, and days later ordered the provision of cooking materials "from charcoal to firewood."
The posts appear after Cuba experienced its fourth nationwide blackout of the year, which left 9.6 million inhabitants without electricity.
The energy collapse is not the only front of the crisis. The government has indefinitely suspended the distribution of liquefied gas in the eastern part of the country since January 2026, leaving more than 834,000 families without fuel for cooking.
A gas cylinder in the informal market can reach 60,000 Cuban pesos, while the regime sells it for 29 dollars on digital platforms.
In that context, presenting the charcoal stove as a symbol of revolutionary strength was seen as a provocation. The comments reflect the accumulated frustration of a population that has been enduring increasingly miserable conditions for years.
"It’s not about cooking... it’s about living as human beings," wrote a user.
Others pointed directly to the double standard between rulers and the ruled: "Go to the Castro's house and see if they are cooking with charcoal," another person remarked.
"If you pass by El Cangrejo's house, you will see his table full of food and drinks; that is creative resistance," added a third commentator, referring to figures of the regime's elite.
Irony also found its place: "Well... what are they cooking? What we see is a closed pot... They must be simmering the achievements of the Revolution, that's why nothing is visible," wrote another user.
Someone else remarked sarcastically, "Make the most of it while you have coal, because even that won't last long."
The reality that the message of "Cubano Gallo Rebelde" attempts to disguise with slogans is devastating. 96.91% of Cubans lost access to food in 2026, 33.9% of households have members who go to bed hungry, and national agricultural production has fallen by 67% in the last five years.
Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged before the Extraordinary Plenary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party that "resistance alone is not enough; today it requires us to transform, to produce more."
This admission directly contradicts the narrative of conformity that users like "Cubano Gallo Rebelde" continue to amplify on social media, while millions of people lack gas, electricity, and even food to put in the pot.
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