The Cuban actor and comedian Vladimir Escudero published a video on Facebook this weekend in which he defended the comedian Cuqui La Mora after the cancellation of two of her performances in the United States, becoming one of the strongest statements regarding political intolerance within the Cuban exile community.
The cancellations occurred on November 5, just 48 hours after the legislative elections on November 3, in which the Democrats achieved a historic victory by regaining the Senate and the House. On the same day, La Cubanita restaurant in Odessa, Texas, canceled the show of the artist scheduled for November 8, while Expo Cubaneo Arizona 2026 unexpectedly canceled its presentation in Phoenix.
The background is Cuqui La Mora's vote. Days earlier, the artist —whose real name is Aleanis Jáuregui— published a video expressing her excitement about voting for the first time as a U.S. citizen and stated bluntly: "Here’s another Republican." Neither of the two organizers officially confirmed that this was the reason for the cancellation, but the coincidence of the dates sparked a debate on social media.
In a video that garnered over 21,000 views, Escudero made it clear that the party for which the artist voted is irrelevant to him: "I couldn't care less if Cuqui voted for a Republican, a Democrat, or Pánfilo. I'm not defending a party; I'm defending a person's right to express their preferences without that automatically becoming a sentence against your work."
The artist clarified that he was unaware of all the details surrounding the cancellation and expressed his criticism conditionally: "I don't know all the details of that cancellation, but if the reason was simply that Cuqui stated who he voted for, that deserves some serious reflection."
His argument highlighted the contradiction he perceives in those behaviors: "We Cubans know perfectly well what it means to live in a society where thinking differently can cost you your job, your career, your peace of mind. And now we're going to reproduce those same behaviors with air conditioning, wifi, and a credit card? Don't mess with me, gentlemen."
Escudero acknowledged that private businesses have the right to decide whom to hire, but emphasized that this does not exempt them from scrutiny: “Businesses are private, and their owners have the right to decide whom to hire and whom not to. That’s fine. But having the right to make a decision does not mean that decision is free from criticism. And we have the same right to express our opinions.”
He also defended tolerance towards those who think differently: "Freedom does not consist merely in tolerating those who agree with us, because for that, democracy is not necessary; all you need is to set up a committee [...] on every corner."
In the final part of his speech, he stated: "There are some who still haven't understood that leaving a country doesn't necessarily mean abandoning its worst habits." He added: "Because one thing is to escape a dictatorship, and a very different one is to ensure that the dictatorship leaves our minds. And, apparently, some still have a lot of unpacking to do."
This is not the first time that Escudero has spoken out about freedom of expression in exile. In May 2026, he responded to actor Alejandro Cuervo, who questioned the support of Cubans in Miami for political change on the island, and in March of that year, he was involved in a controversy with reggaeton artist Yomil Hidalgo. In both cases, he defended the exile's right to demand freedom without it being interpreted as hatred.
Cuqui La Mora, for her part, announced that her show in Michigan on November 21 is still on, although she did so with caution: "I hope so," said the artist while confirming it.
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