By Alberto Reyes Pías
I’ve been thinking about the true meaning of our cry.
Fulgencio Batista came to power through a military coup in 1952, and his government became increasingly unpopular. Little by little, the Cuban people gave voice to their discontent and began to demonstrate publicly, demanding change.
I asked Artificial Intelligence why Cubans became so dissatisfied with Batista’s government, and it confirmed that his rule was widely rejected by the population.
Among the reasons it identified were severe restrictions on freedom and a systematic crackdown on the political opposition, making it difficult for opposition parties and movements to organize.
It explains that Batista attacked freedom of expression through censorship, restrictions on press freedom, control of the media, and punishment of journalists and political activists.
His government suppressed dissent through arbitrary arrests, surveillance, and politically motivated prosecutions of opponents.
It was also a time of widespread government corruption that permeated both the public administration and the security forces.
Political power became increasingly centralized, with decision-making concentrated in the hands of the government while ordinary citizens were excluded.
Economic hardship worsened for a large part of the population, leading many Cubans to emigrate.
That is what Artificial Intelligence says.
This helps explain why the Cuban people embraced the Revolution—a revolution that promised a different country: one without fear, repression, or senseless censorship; a nation of freedom and prosperity, where emigration would be a matter of choice rather than a desperate necessity.
It is heartbreaking to recognize that, in reality, Cuba simply exchanged one dictatorship for another—one that not only repeated the mistakes of its predecessor but went even further, plunging the country into poverty and ruin and reducing its people to survivors living in misery.
That is why, when we protest today over shortages and the hardships of daily life, it may appear that our demands are merely for material assistance, as though we are taking to the streets only to ask for electricity, water, or food.
But let neither our urgent needs deceive us nor those watching us from beyond our shores. Alongside the cries for life’s necessities, the Cuban people are shouting, “Homeland and Life!” They are shouting, “Change the system!” They are shouting, “Freedom!” They are shouting, “Enough is enough!”
Let there be no misunderstanding: our cry is not a plea for assistance. It is a demand for profound change, for the breaking of our chains, and for the right to live in freedom.