Medical Student Speaks Out Against ETECSA's Price Hike: "My Mom Works for the Minint and Her Salary Isn't Enough"

The Cuban regime and its state-controlled media persist in denying the university protests against ETECSA's recent price hikes. However, videos continue to emerge, capturing young people's opposition to the increased cost of Internet access. One such video was shared by user @SanMemero on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), featuring a young woman during what appears to be a meeting at the Salvador Allende Faculty of Medical Sciences. She explains that her mother, an officer in the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) with the rank of Major, cannot afford to pay the over 3,000 pesos for the ETECSA package necessary for her studies with her current salary.

"My mom is a Major in the Minint and her salary isn't enough to pay over 3,000 pesos for me. People think those in the Minint live well, but even they struggle. Parents who want their children to develop... I can't imagine a mother who cleans floors and a father who collects tobacco being able to afford this for their children. Not everyone has small businesses or enterprises," she stated, her tone polite yet clearly dissatisfied. Though her speech is incomplete, supportive expressions can be heard in the background from peers who share her view, joining in applause similar to the reception another medical student received after criticizing faculty and the University Student Federation (FEU) for attempting to promote the benefits of ETECSA's price increase.

The video of the medical student denouncing the dollarization of Cuba's Internet and mobile data rates, favoring those with family abroad, has rapidly spread across social media, becoming a symbol of the youthful discontent that media aligned with the Communist Party denies.

Another medical student also criticized ETECSA's price hikes this past Thursday during a viral social media intervention. He refuted arguments from the Telecommunications Company and the regime amidst the ongoing crisis due to the rising Internet costs. "They are restricting Internet access as a monopoly because this is the only company we have in Cuba. I want someone to explain how I can have balance if I'm not topped up from abroad. I might have 10,000 pesos in balance and recharge all 360-peso packages I want, but... How do I get that balance?" he questioned.

"How can I have balance if I'm not topped up internationally? It's a lie that Pepe or Armando will transfer via Transfermóvil because they also need balance to do so. If I can't have balance without being topped up from abroad, this measure isn't socialist, comrades," he argued, dismantling the Communist Party's narrative.

Another medical student reminded attendees at a meeting that ETECSA's purpose since its founding in 1994 was to modernize and expand telecommunications services in the country, but quality has always been its Achilles' heel. "Where has all the money collected over the years gone, and why must the public bear the consequences of poor management, administration, and investment?" she asked during the meeting.

ETECSA has defended the new rates by citing operational difficulties and the need to maintain the network. However, many users and experts have questioned these justifications, accusing the company of incompetence and lack of transparency. Official explanations have been perceived as a strategy to rationalize an unpopular price increase.