At the end of the third episode of his radio program "Criterio Compartido", aired this Wednesday on Radio Rebelde, Miguel Díaz-Canel dedicated a long segment to attacking the Cuban opposition figure Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, labeling him a "terrorist" and "scammer" in light of the upcoming vote at the UN regarding the U.S. embargo.
The segment was introduced by journalist Bárbara Betancourt, who stated that she did not want to "overlook" the issue of the upcoming vote at the United Nations. Díaz-Canel responded by reading almost entirely from prepared cards, in a program that the regime presents as a forum for spontaneous dialogue with the public.
The most revealing aspect of the attack was not its virulence, but rather the fragility of its foundations: to claim that Gutiérrez-Boronat is a terrorist, Díaz-Canel relied exclusively on two sources. The first was the words of Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. The second was the national list of individuals linked to terrorism compiled by the Cuban government itself.
"It is the height of audacity that Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat was presented there, whom Chancellor Bruno himself has identified as a known terrorist and fraudster, and who is included in the national list of individuals linked to terrorism compiled by the Cuban government," said Díaz-Canel on the program.
In other words, the only evidence the regime provides is the regime itself: an accusation based on the word of its own chancellor and a list compiled unilaterally by its own ministries, without support from any international or U.S. court.
There is no conviction, open investigation, or criminal proceedings against Gutiérrez-Boronat by U.S. authorities for terrorism. The allegations of misuse of federal funds were made in January 2025 by former diplomat Armando Valladares, but there is also no U.S. judicial ruling to support them. Gutiérrez-Boronat has categorically denied both accusations and has confirmed that there is no federal investigation against him.
In the same segment, Díaz-Canel referred to José Daniel Ferrer and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara as "convicted criminals," ignoring that their sentences were handed down by the Cuban regime itself as retaliation for their political positions and activism. Both participated days ago in the "Free Cuba" forum held at the UN headquarters in New York, organized by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz on October 19.
At the end of that forum, Cuban diplomats led by Ernesto Soberón Guzmán staged an act of repudiation in the hallways of the UN, shouting "terrorists" and "liars" at the participants. Bruno Rodríguez also referred to Ferrer as a "convicted felon" and Otero Alcántara as a "circus artist" during a press conference.
Gutiérrez-Boronat responded emphatically this Wednesday: "I am neither a terrorist nor a scammer. I am not a terrorist because I did not come to power by planting bombs in cinemas, parks, nightclubs, or by hijacking civilian planes, as was done on July 26."
The opposition member also directly pointed to the regime's credibility: "No one believes them anymore, neither inside Cuba nor outside of it, not even themselves. That’s why Soberón’s hands were shaking when he read a poorly delivered, nervous speech, because he knows that what he is reading is a lie."
The background of this entire propaganda offensive is the annual vote of the UN General Assembly on the Cuban resolution against the embargo, scheduled for October 27 and 28. International support for that resolution has steadily declined: from 187 votes in 2024 to 165 in October 2025, and to only 136 in the extraordinary session of July 2026, which explains the desperation with which the regime reacts to any critical voices that arise in that context.
"The regime attacks us because we will never negotiate the freedom and democracy of the Cuban people," concluded Gutiérrez-Boronat.
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