The Cuban comedian and actor Ulises Toirac published a strong critique on his Facebook profile against ETECSA and a regime leader who justified the cap of 360 Cuban pesos (CUP) per month for mobile Internet services by arguing that "it's enough to communicate with your family."
Toirac responded with irony and harshness to that reasoning, labeling it a "plantation" mentality that treats citizens as "beings in the inventory with a metal tag on their backs."
"This makes me somewhat anxious because they talk about 176 absolutely capitalist neoliberal measures, but one realizes that the mentality remains prosperous and bouncy in the philosophy of the latifundium," he wrote, referring directly to the economic transformations approved by the government in June.
The actor rejected the idea that access to the internet should be limited to family communication and defended its value as a tool for work, education, and knowledge: "Millions of human beings every day, every second, are increasing their content and applications in a rapid avalanche."
He also made a suggestion to the executive who made the comment: "Spend more time with family, because you'll need it when the ceiling comes crashing down and the plane leaves without you."
The bulk of the criticism fell on ETECSA, the state telecommunications monopoly. The tariff hike imposed by the company in May 2025 increased the price of mobile internet by 13 times, boosting the company's daily revenue from about $10,000 to $540,000, as acknowledged by the Prime Minister Manuel Marrero himself. However, the quality of the service did not improve.
"ETECSA is really stepping up with its price hike, stirring up quite a commotion with supposed scammers. And I find myself wondering what kind of service is being paid for—using hard currency from abroad and nearby—and yet is delivered with the lowest quality. Moreover, they impose a single provider well-known for its poor performance and its dubious handling of revenues and budgets," wrote Toirac.
His verdict was categorical: "What is a service with all those characteristics? A scam at gunpoint."
Finally, the comedian described ETECSA as "a communications company that gives no accountability, does not accept lawsuits, and does not communicate, yet still collects payment."
This post is part of a series of criticisms by Toirac against the state monopoly, which he has repeatedly demanded accountability for the millions collected, reinvestment in infrastructure, or the allowance of alternatives like Starlink.
In August, Toirac had already taken a stand against ETECSA demanding real investment instead of more excuses, and that same month he ironically asked in another post: «Where can I report ETECSA, UNE, and the dollar stores for abusive prices and scams?».
Related videos:
Filed under: