The first secretary of the Communist Party in Sancti Spíritus, Deivy Pérez Martín, will host her own radio program starting November 25, in an initiative that the official medium announcing it acknowledges as a replica of the space that Miguel Díaz-Canel leads on Radio Rebelde.
The program, called “Open Mic”, will be broadcast live on Radio Sancti Spíritus every other Wednesday at 7:15 a.m., as announced this Monday by the state-run newspaper Escambray.
The reaction of Cubans on social media was one of mockery and widespread skepticism towards the announcement. "That's contagious, monkey see monkey do," wrote one user. "Have they prepared their answers? Who did they train for the questions?" questioned another. "Now they put it on at the time when all digital signals are blocked. Everything here is suspicious," pointed out another person.
The format's resemblance is almost total: the same schedule, the same biweekly frequency, and the same stated purpose of "dialoguing with the people" about everyday issues, identical to the framework of the "Criterio Compartido" segment that Díaz-Canel launched on Radio Rebelde on September 23.
The Escambray itself does not hide its inspiration: it describes the new space as "inspired by the biweekly contact via Radio Rebelde from Miguel Díaz-Canel, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic."
According to its creators —Rafael Orellana Miranda, Elsa Ramos Ramírez, and Juan Carlos Castellón Véliz—, the program aims to be a forum where Pérez Martín informs the public about the main tasks in the region and interacts with citizens through calls and messages.
"We hope that it will serve as one more platform for the people to find answers to their concerns and for the authorities to draw on the collective intelligence of the community," stated journalist Elsa Ramos. In addition to the provincial leader, each broadcast will feature executives from various sectors, businesses, and organizations, depending on the topics being discussed.
The initiative arises as Sancti Spíritus faces a severe crisis: power outages lasting over 50 continuous hours and around 60 damaged transformers, nearly 58,000 residents experiencing water supply issues, a shortage of more than 300 essential medications, and a bag of coal costing over 4,000 pesos in a province where the average official salary is around 6,930 pesos.
Díaz-Canel's program has not avoided skepticism: Reuters gathered reactions from Cubans who described it as "more of the same" and lacking real solutions, and in its fourth broadcast the president himself acknowledged that resolving a complaint may depend on factors beyond his control.
"It seems to be becoming fashionable to speak through a microphone to control the conversation and avoid face-to-face interactions," summarized another user, reflecting what many perceive as a communication strategy that lacks the real capacity to address the structural problems afflicting the province.
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