A leader of the Union of Young Communists (UJC) in Guantánamo was showcased by Cuban state television as an example of food production, although she herself acknowledged that she can only tend to her agricultural plot on weekends and during the few free moments left by her political duties.
Kenia Durand Soria, a member of the provincial bureau of the UJC, was featured in a report from Canal Caribe broadcast in honor of the 66th anniversary of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), celebrated on August 23.
The piece portrays her as a "young empowered woman" and highlights her work on a family plot located in the community of Los Cahuiranes, in the municipality of Manuel Tames.
"I am a political leader, a member of the bureau responsible for addressing education, health, and sports among the youth at the provincial level. However, I split my duties on weekends; in the little free time I have, I spend my afternoons attending to the plot of land we have here," Durand Soria explained before the cameras.
In the family garden, as the report showed, they grow bananas, papaya, avocado, coconut, cassava, sugarcane, vegetables, and medicinal and aromatic plants, among other products.
The piece from Canal Caribe, authored by journalist Mejías Osorio, showcases the experience as an example of effort and self-sufficiency, concluding with a quote from Fidel Castro: "Women are a revolution within the revolution."
The story emerges, however, against the backdrop of a profound food access crisis in Cuba, particularly severe in the eastern provinces.
Guantánamo is among the five Cuban provinces with critical levels of food insecurity, according to a report from independent organizations released in April 2026.
The focus on small plots and available land has also become a recurring message from the authorities in light of the scarcity.
On August 21, Miguel Díaz-Canel urged to "plant in every empty space" during a tour of the Havana municipality of Playa.
Days earlier, Salvador Valdés Mesa and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz had once again demanded an increase in food production during a visit to Boyeros.
In Guantánamo, the authorities are also promoting small-scale agriculture initiatives such as "From the Neighborhood, Grow Your Little Piece," launched in July in the Niceto Pérez municipality.
The report on Durand Soria thus aligns with the official narrative that promotes self-sufficiency and the utilization of any available land as a response to the food shortages faced daily by Cuban families.
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