The official media Cubadebate published a report on Friday to quickly cover the previous day's student protests in Santiago, Chile, where high school students caused traffic disruptions to demand the resignation of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat, who has faced criticism for reducing sentences for individuals convicted of sexual offenses against minors.
The propaganda organ of the Communist Party of Cuba quickly received an unexpected response after sharing the notice on social media.
The post sparked a flood of ironic comments on Facebook, where dozens of Cubans pointed out the glaring contradiction of a media outlet that highlights the right to protest abroad while remaining silent when any demonstration on the Island ends in arrests, summary trials, and years in prison. The phrase that best summarized the collective sentiment came from a user: “Good thing they can do that and don't end up in jail.”
Other comments were equally straightforward. "It shows that in Chile there is democracy, that you can protest when you disagree with the government, something that cannot be done in Cuba, not even on social media, because you end up in jail. Example: July 11, 2021. Congratulations to the Chileans..." wrote one user. Another forum member was more succinct: "You can protest anywhere in the world except in Cuba."
Uncomfortable questions were also plentiful. "When will students in Cuba be able to protest like in Chile?" one asked. "It's great to protest about what's done wrong; it's good to vent at least. In Cuba, you either bite your tongue or someone bites it for you forever," added another.
Several were even more direct: "Hypocrites, talk about the protests in Cuba" and "These communists have some nerve; in any country, according to them, protests can happen, but if it happens in Cuba, they are vandals and mediocre people."
The contrast highlighted by internet users is based on concrete facts. According to data referenced by the partisan site, taken from the also state-run Prensa Latina agency—, in the context of student protests, President José Antonio Kast faces a plummeted approval rating of 20% and a rejection rate of 68%, according to the Black and White survey, and 68% of respondents support the constitutional accusation against Minister Rabat.
In the South American country, protesting has political consequences for the government; in Cuba, it has consequences for the one who protests.
The Cuban reality that Cubadebate omits is devastating. The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Ciego de Ávila requested sentences ranging from seven to 13 years in prison for 19 protesters from Morón —including teenagers— who took to the streets on March 13, 2026, against the blackouts and shortages. The highest sentence, 13 years, was given to Hosuán Naranjo Chacón; for a 17-year-old minor, eight years were requested.
The Bayamo Prosecutor's Office, for its part, requested up to five years in prison for nine citizens due to the protest on May 23, 2025. "They are being sentenced to years for demanding basic rights from the government such as access to water, food, and electricity," stated Rosa Escalante, mother of one of the defendants, to Martí Noticias.
The organization Cubalex documented 766 protests in 141 Cuban municipalities during the first half of 2026. Prisoners Defenders counted 1,372 political prisoners in Cuba as of October 1, 2026, while Justicia 11J reported over 300 people still imprisoned for their participation in the protests of July 11, 2021.
This is not the first time that Cubadebate has shown this double standard: in November 2024, it positively covered the protests in Valencia —against the regional president over the management of the DANA— while supporting the repression of Cubans protesting against blackouts.
An internet user succinctly summarized the regime's logic: "And there they don’t imprison people because there is freedom of expression. [...] Here in Cuba, they imprison people, which is why there are no student protests; because they are harassed, intimidated, and their careers are taken away."
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