The Cuban host and actress Laritza Camacho challenged members of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) this Thursday to publicly answer a question that the regime avoids: why does Miguel Díaz-Canel remain in power, and do the party's grassroots have the authority to propose his removal?
The challenge came through a post on her Facebook profile that began with an irony about the energy crisis: "Right now, I have electricity and a connection. Take note of this historic combination."
Camacho opened an exclusive space for members of the PCC, asking the other users to limit themselves to listening, liking, or sharing the post without intervening.
The central question of the challenge was straightforward: “Considering that a party member must tell the truth and it is common practice within the PCC circles to punish those who lie, what is the reason that Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez remains president? Do the PCC circles have the authority to propose from the grassroots to remove him from power, at least as the first secretary of the party?”
To support the question, the speaker listed what she called "public lies": the promise to build a house a day, monetary reform as a solution, and reorganization as a solution. "I think this is enough," she wrote.
Camacho also dismissed the regime's usual argument in advance: "Everything said by the current president of Cuba has been public and under the effects of the blockade, so the blockade is out of this equation."
The call highlighted an internal contradiction within the party: if the PCC's statutes require members to tell the truth and penalize those who lie, why do they remain silent in the face of their leader's unfulfilled promises? "Let’s listen to the grassroots members. They too suffer from inflation and disaster, but what do they really think? Why are they silent, or why don’t we know if they are speaking?" he asked.
The host established clear rules: any user who disrespected others or violated the space's guidelines would be restricted. She also clarified that her profile does not monetize, which allows her, in her words, to "act as the Cuban state usually does when a 'Liborio' company is not functioning."
The challenge is not an isolated gesture. In July, Camacho declared, "I am against the Cuban government because the Cuban government is against Cuba," defining her stance as a civic struggle without party affiliation. She also criticized the package of 176 economic measures approved by the National Assembly, questioning its failure to address the real needs of the country.
The internal context of the PCC adds extra weight to the challenge. In January of this year, Díaz-Canel himself admitted during provincial assemblies in Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo that there is no "true unity" within the party, and he called for building it through "frankness and honesty." There are also reports of difficulties in attracting new members and an increase in requests for resignation.
In July, the regime called upon its supporters from Vedado to publicly respond to the citizens, a sign of the social pressure building within the party's base amid the crisis.
Camacho closed his post with a phrase that encapsulates the spirit of the challenge: "Let's put it to the test. Let's see if it works."
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