Alejandro Sanz Stands with Cuban Students, Sparks Criticism from Gerardo Hernández

In yet another display of political cynicism and disregard for Cuban youth, Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, head of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), has launched a verbal attack on Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz. Sanz had expressed his support for Cuban students protesting against ETECSA's recent price hike. "HYPOCRITES! Tear gas still lingers in Los Angeles. Latinos from various countries are being 'hunted', families torn apart... Yet Alejandro Sanz and the 'Cuban-American' congress members remain miserably silent. They're too busy with Cuban students' Internet Megabytes," wrote the former spy on Facebook.

Hernández's comments not only highlight the arrogant and evasive tone of a regime representative but also underscore the Cuban government's chronic inability to introspect and take responsibility for a national crisis that particularly affects the most vulnerable.

Alejandro Sanz: A Voice of Solidarity

In stark contrast to Hernández's empty rhetoric, Alejandro Sanz's message was clear, sincere, and deeply human. Through his official X account, the renowned musician stated, "In the voices of young Cubans lies the future of a nation that still dreams wide awake." This simple yet powerful gesture breaks the complicit silence of many international figures, sending Cuban people—especially students—a message of encouragement and legitimacy.

While the regime tries to label the youth who dare to protest peacefully as "manipulated" or "instrumentalized," the solidarity shown by figures like Sanz dismantles the official narrative and shifts the focus to what truly matters: the fight for fundamental rights in a country that routinely denies them.

Gerardo Hernández and the Double Standard

Hernández Nordelo's words come as no surprise. Just hours ago, instead of addressing the growing discontent among Cuban youth, he criticized police repression against pro-Palestine demonstrators in U.S. universities, clearly attempting to distract from the issues in his own country.

As Cuban university students bravely mobilize against ETECSA's oppressive pricing, facing censorship, threats, and the real possibility of reprisals, the former member of the "Cuban Five" looks elsewhere. This is the same person who recently mocked a blackout in Europe to downplay Cuba's chronic power outages.

In his skewed worldview, what's happening outside of Cuba is always worse. Anything within is blamed on the "embargo" or "foreign interference," never on their own power, decisions, or ineffectiveness.

The Unjust ETECSA Price Hike

Since the state-run monopoly ETECSA announced its new pricing scheme, outrage has spread continuously. University students—one of the groups hardest hit by systemic shortages—have boldly denounced the Internet price hikes for deepening social inequality, forcing reliance on foreign remittances, and threatening their rights to education, information, and communication.

In response, the regime has attempted to discredit the protests, deny their significance, and downplay their causes. Simultaneously, it has mobilized its media and political operatives to sow confusion and launch attacks like Hernández's against those who dare to support the students from abroad.

However, these protests are legitimate, courageous, and necessary. They demonstrate that Cuban youth are not asleep and that there is still hope on the island for building a fairer future, one with freedom and without censorship.

The Real Cuban Voice

While Gerardo may continue to look outward, the real Cuban nation is found within its classrooms, university halls, and on social media platforms where thousands of young people have said enough. They are not puppets or naive. They are Cubans fed up with abuse, inequality, and the high cost of living while others have everything.

University students are not merely fighting for "megabytes." They are demanding a dignified, inclusive, and just model. There's nothing more revolutionary in Cuba today than this demand for dignity.

And although regime spokespersons attempt to silence their voices, there will always be those who amplify them, like Alejandro Sanz, and like every Cuban inside or outside the island who has not given up on dreaming of a better Cuba.