On the evening of Friday, May 30, coinciding with the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) unveiling exorbitant new fees and restrictions on mobile services, the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) launched a nationwide surveillance exercise called the "People's Exercise for Security and Order." The timing of these actions raises eyebrows and is anything but coincidental.
With Cuba mired in a severe economic crisis, the immediate effects of ETECSA's new policies—which limit Cuban peso top-ups to a mere 360 CUP monthly and promote U.S. dollar data packages—convey a message of control rather than security to the populace.
Official Justifications and Underlying Intentions
MININT mobilized grassroots militants, active and retired officers, and local leaders under the pretext of celebrating its 64th anniversary and enhancing security at healthcare facilities, schools, and strategic sites. However, the concurrent timing with one of the year's most unpopular economic measures has sparked strong suspicions. For many observers, this exercise is not random, but rather a preemptive display of social control, a reminder that the State is watching even before any organized dissent can arise.
Public Outrage and Digital Backlash
The new ETECSA policy has been met with widespread outrage. Most notably, there was a surge of criticism on social media and even on Cubadebate, the main outlet for Cuban state media. In mere hours, over 1,300 comments flooded the site, filled with sarcasm, anger, and frustration. One reader summed it up with biting wit: “Let's be serious. This isn't an offer; it's highway robbery. Yet another attack on those who already have so little.”
The new pricing structure speaks volumes: 15 GB for 11,760 CUP, nearly six times the Cuban minimum wage, and 4 GB for $10 USD, accessible only to those receiving remittances or holding foreign currency through MiTransfer. A widely shared comment mocked, “ETCSA has its own ration book now. An extra plan costs more than the minimum wage. This is truly a revolutionary achievement.”
Symbolic Warnings in a Digitally Excluded Reality
In this context of increasing digital exclusion, the MININT's nighttime deployment isn't viewed as a festive or commemorative event, but rather as a symbolic and preventive warning, aimed at reinforcing territorial control in anticipation of potential social unrest.
Photos released by MININT depict a tense atmosphere: silent rows of agents, official speeches before uniformed lines, and nighttime mobilizations across several provinces. The scene resembles not a celebration, but a preemptive response to a growingly frustrated citizenry.
The most notable aspect of this episode isn't just the economic harshness or the late-night police spectacle, but the emerging rift in the official narrative. Criticism didn't come from dissidents, exiles, or influencers; it erupted from within the spaces once filled only with silence or applause.
This time, neither ETECSA's technocratic rhetoric nor MININT's territorial vigilance could silence the outcry from hundreds of Cubans who feel each decision pushes them further from their rights to connect, to express, and to simply live.
Key Questions About Cuba's Current Situation
What prompted the recent surveillance operation by MININT in Cuba?
The surveillance operation coincided with ETECSA's announcement of new restrictive and expensive mobile phone policies, suggesting a coordinated effort to control public dissent.
How have Cubans reacted to the new ETECSA policies?
Cubans have responded with widespread outrage, voicing their discontent on social media and through state media outlets, criticizing the policies as exploitative and exclusionary.
Why are the new ETECSA data plans controversial?
The plans are seen as controversial because they are prohibitively expensive, with costs far exceeding the Cuban minimum wage, and limit access to affordable connectivity for many citizens.