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A post regarding the demand from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to release Cuban political prisoners became a space for collective catharsis on Sunday, with hundreds of comments reflecting extreme exhaustion over promises that do not translate into real changes.
The note, published on the social media of CiberCuba to mark the fifth anniversary of the 11J, sparked a wave of reactions in which the prevailing sentiment was not enthusiastic support, but rather disappointment, hopelessness, and frustration.
The phrases were repeated in dozens, in hundreds of comments: "bla bla bla," "a lot of talk and little action," "the people are dying while you talk".
A voice captured the feelings of many with a rawness that cuts through the screen: "Please, I have been listening to speeches for 65 years, all filled with unfulfilled promises. For the first time in many years, I have hope in someone who promised to free us and I see that everything is taking too long. No more speeches, we need action, action, and action."
Another person wrote: "It is painful how we have placed our hope in these people, precisely because our population, unarmed and indoctrinated, cannot free itself from this communist plague. However, for months they have been all talk and no action. Economic measures have intensified and they have suffocated the country, but it is the people who are dying."
The demand was not limited to formal political prisoners. Dozens of comments expanded the scope: "the entire island is imprisoned," "we are millions of prisoners," "there must be a release for an entire people."
A person wrote: «90% of the ordinary people in Cuba are political prisoners. We live without freedom. Without light. Without food. Without water. Without medication. A concentration camp. Literally».
The context surrounding this desperation is devastating. According to data from Prisoners Defenders as of July 9, Cuba reports 1,306 political prisoners, a new historic record that includes 40 minors. Of those, 338 are serving sentences directly connected to the protests of 11J and were excluded from the pardon in April 2026.
At the same time, Cuba experienced its fourth total blackout of the year on July 10, with outages lasting up to 87 consecutive hours in some provinces, while 33.9% of households are suffering from chronic hunger and only 30% of the basic medicine supply is available.
Various comments pointed out that the economic sanctions do not affect the regime's elite but rather the everyday people.
«Mr. Rubio, we agree on the release of so many prisoners, but there is a general exhaustion due to the lack of electricity, food, health, and inflation. The sanctions against the government do not resolve the people's issues. They continue to live the same or even better, while it impacts the lives of children, the elderly, and the common people,» wrote an individual.
Another comment pointed directly to political credibility: «Don't threaten anymore and take action against that regime or you will never count on the Cuban-American vote again».
A majority current demanded direct intervention, arguing that there is no negotiation with dictatorships and that the Cuban people are unarmed. Another more reflective voice suggested that freedom must arise from the people themselves.
Rubio's demand took place on the fifth anniversary of the largest public protests in Cuba since 1959, when thousands of people took to the streets in over seventy locations. The regime's response was mass repression. Five years later, hundreds of protesters remain imprisoned, and the crisis has deepened to unprecedented levels.
It's time for action to surpass speeches, someone wrote, "because today's Cuban is dying both physically and mentally. Those in power at this point will not act unless forced. The freedom of a kidnapped Cuba is what is fair and necessary at this moment."
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