A post by ETECSA in the Isle of Youth showing its workers participating in a defense preparation exercise, some of them holding rifles, provoked criticism and irony among Cubans who urged the company to focus on improving its deteriorating telecommunications services.
"Fix the data connection, that would really be something significant," responded a user to the images posted on Facebook by the Territorial Division of ETECSA in that special municipality.
The photographs, released on August 31, show several workers in the company's distinctive blue uniforms performing exercises in a vegetation-covered area while carrying long guns.
According to ETECSA, the activity aimed to "test the operational protocols and the preparedness of the workforce in the face of possible contingencies," as well as to reaffirm "the commitment to the security of the company's resources and the defense of national sovereignty."
However, the publication ultimately became a space for many Cubans to question the company's priorities.
One of the comments noted that on the same day the service had been down for hours in the Isle of Youth, affecting even emergency situations and daily operations that rely on the internet.
"Zero coverage, there wasn't a single drop of signal until 4 in the afternoon to make an emergency call to the clinic or for families who couldn't buy food due to a transfer, and you are boasting about a defense exercise," the user reproached.
The ironies multiplied.
"That's why the service is so poor; they have to occupy their time with something," commented one person.
"In a normal country, the baker makes bread, the fisherman catches fish, and the doctor heals their patients, because that's what they're paid for," wrote another.
A third user directly questioned the company's priorities: "ETECSA's main responsibility is to provide quality service to the people, and they have never done that; it is better to focus on that aspect and leave the defense to those who are responsible for it."
The activity is part of the «Year of Preparation for Defense» promoted by the Cuban regime during 2026, which has also involved workers from state-owned enterprises.
In June, more than 400 ETECSA employees in Camagüey participated in activities during National Defense Day, which included shooting practices and exercises in assembling and disassembling rifles.
Images of the Isle of Youth were also circulated at a time marked by complaints against Cuba's sole telecommunications operator regarding connectivity issues and interruptions associated with prolonged blackouts.
In August, ETECSA mistakenly sent a false earthquake alert to thousands of phones in nine provinces, causing panic and evacuations, and attributed it to a "technical-human error."
"The worst service in the world. Neither the mobile network nor the landline works. Power outages lasting over 20 hours and a millionaire company unable to install battery banks to support the system," protested another user.
The publication that aimed to highlight the preparation of workers for potential contingencies ended up provoking a much more immediate demand among ETECSA's customers: that the phone service and internet connection work.
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