Medical Student in Havana Challenges ETECSA Over Price Hikes

Amidst growing social unrest due to surging telecommunications fees in Cuba, a student from the "Salvador Allende" Faculty of Medical Sciences in Havana has emerged as a symbol of youth discontent. His passionate address during a student assembly, which has gone viral on social media, directly confronted the state-run ETECSA, questioning its economic policies and demanding real answers instead of empty justifications.

With a firm tone and supported by applause from his peers, the student reminded everyone present, including the authorities, that "the currency of this country is the national currency. The currency of this country is not the dollar, it is not the British pound, and it is not the Swiss franc." These words criticized recent restrictions that limit top-ups in Cuban pesos (CUP) to a maximum of 360 CUP over a 30-day period and the increasing dollarization of the service, which effectively excludes those who only have Cuban pesos.

Visibly frustrated by the lack of concrete responses, the student issued a direct call to those leading the meeting: "What I urge, as a conclusion of this meeting... is for the faculty's management and the FEU secretariat to bring someone from the government who can give us the answers we want to hear, not the justification we've been hearing from the Round Table for the past five days."

Social Media Sparks: Pride, Fear, and Solidarity

The reaction on social media has been massive and emotional. Dozens of comments expressed pride, admiration, and also concern about possible reprisals. "That young man fills me with pride, that's how you speak," wrote one user, while others praised his courage: "What emotion... that young man has guts!" and "My respects, he spoke directly and clearly."

Other messages warned of the need for popular support: "Why isn't the people supporting these young people? This is the moment," commented another user. There were also calls for unity among students to protect each other: "Everyone must unite and not allow reprisals against any student for claiming a right."

Official Response: More Repression Than Solutions

The academic strike, which began on June 4, has spread to universities across the country, with the epicenter at the University of Havana. Faced with the growing student movement, the government has chosen to close ranks. During his weekly podcast "From the Presidency," Miguel Díaz-Canel, accompanied by ETECSA director Tania Velázquez, made it clear there would be no reversal of the price hikes.

Díaz-Canel suggested that suspending the measures would mean "giving up revenue to maintain the service," warning that the country could face a "technological collapse" if unpopular decisions aren't enacted. "When a technological collapse happens, we would also be demanded," he asserted.

Tania Velázquez outlined the potential scope of this hypothetical collapse: the inability to make calls, send messages, or access workplaces and educational centers. The government maintains its inflexible stance, repeating that it needs to "step back a little to accumulate what we need."

A Movement That Won't Be Silenced

Despite regime attempts to discredit the academic strike by accusing students of being manipulated from abroad, the student movement continues to articulate clear demands: fair rates, equitable internet access, and the resignation of FEU president Ricardo Rodríguez González, whom they accuse of defending government interests over those of the student body.

"ETECSA is a socialist state company," warned another student who has spoken out in recent days, "and it's acting against the people." In the face of censorship, apathy, and fear, Cuban students are proving they no longer want to be mere spectators of decline, but protagonists of change. Their struggle not only challenges ETECSA or university authorities but an entire nation that has learned to resist in silence and is now beginning, little by little, to speak out loud.