Math Faculty of UH Calls Off Student Strike After ETECSA's Assurance

The University of Havana's Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science (MATCOM) announced on Monday the end of a student strike that began on June 4th. This decision comes after receiving specific commitments from both the Ministry of Higher Education and Cuba's telecommunications company, ETECSA. The decision followed a brigade-level vote, where 51% of the students (173 in favor, 82 against, and 25 abstentions) agreed to return to classes on June 9th.

The strike was initially organized in response to ETECSA's commercial policies announced on May 30th, primarily concerning the monthly limits on national recharges and increased mobile data costs. These changes were perceived by students as a direct assault on the Cuban people.

Unprecedented Student Movement for Change

The strike was a result of a democratic and well-organized process within the faculty, led by MATCOM's Student Federation Council (FEU). In an initial vote, 60% of students (205 out of 341) supported halting in-person classes as a peaceful protest against ETECSA's policies. During the strike, students engaged with faculty, university leaders, and Ministry of Higher Education representatives. These meetings aimed to consolidate a critical yet collaborative stance, focusing on proposing viable technical solutions and demanding transparency in tariff redesign.

Commitments and Forward Plans

On June 6th, Walter Baluja García, the Minister of Higher Education, visited the Faculty, promising to escalate the students' concerns to higher authorities. As part of the institutional response, a multidisciplinary group was established, comprising students and experts from eight faculties of UH, to work alongside ETECSA in reviewing the tariff model. This group's work is set to begin this week and is seen by MATCOM's FEU as a legitimate path to continue dialogue without disrupting the educational process. "We are exploring alternative mechanisms to move forward without hindering dialogue," the student organization's statement noted.

Ongoing Demands and Lingering Skepticism

Despite returning to classes, MATCOM's FEU emphasized that the fundamental issues remain unresolved. They have called on ETECSA to publicly justify the necessity of the new tariffs with concrete and verifiable data. Additionally, they proposed extending the current national recharge limit of 360 CUP and urged the creation of more affordable alternative plans. "The people trust us with these spaces," a student remarked during prior assemblies, a sentiment echoed by students from other faculties joining similar protests, like Holguín's Communication Faculty and CUJAE in Havana, forming a national movement against ETECSA's unilateral decisions.

Autonomy and Clear Messaging

MATCOM's FEU defended the authenticity and independence of the student movement, cautioning against external actors misusing or distorting their messages. Their Telegram channel was restricted to prevent manipulation and maintain the integrity of the internal debate. "We trust our specialists to offer the best possible solution," concluded their statement, expressing gratitude for the support from faculty and university leadership. Lifting the strike does not mean abandoning their demands but signifies a strategic shift: continuing to apply pressure through dialogue with technical and civic proposals for fairer and more democratic telecommunications access in Cuba.

Regime Pressure Behind the Change?

While MATCOM's official statement highlighted consensus and institutional support as reasons for their changed stance, many observers speculate that heavy pressure from the Cuban regime and State Security, historically present and effective within university settings, played a role. This hypothesis gains weight considering reports from the Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas (UCLV), where students faced threats of expulsion and imprisonment for organizing a similar strike. According to journalist Mario J. Pentón, these students were visited at home by State Security officers and coerced into public retractions within student WhatsApp groups, under pressure in front of their families.

In this context, MATCOM's shift might have been partly driven by similar deterrent and control mechanisms, especially given the national media impact of their initial call to action. The removal of their Telegram channel and insistence on respectful reproduction of their messages could also indicate an institutional containment strategy. The condemnation of social media accounts and press outlets for misusing their genuine words further suggests possible State Security involvement in drafting their statement.

Full Text of the Communiqué:

Havana, June 8, 2025

Year 67 of the Revolution

To Whom It May Concern:

The FEU Council of MATCOM, in response to the dissatisfaction expressed due to the commercial measures announced on May 30, 2025, by the Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA), and the inadequate communication policy and lack of public consultation, particularly regarding the dialogue on June 3 and their TV appearances, which failed to address the students' demands, initiated a discussion process at the brigade level.

As a result, with 205 students in favor (60%), 27 against, and 24 abstentions out of a total of 341 students, the FEU Council of MATCOM called upon the faculty's student body to cease in-person classes from Wednesday, June 4, 2025, as the most peaceful and controlled way to express and uphold our position. The call was read at the Patio de los Laureles in the Felipe Poey Building of the University of Havana, where our Faculty is located, in front of an audience of students and faculty, and then shared via our official Telegram channel.

Due to the media impact of the call, the channel was made private and detached from its discussion group to protect against misinterpretations and distortions by individuals outside our Faculty and to preserve the integrity of this internal space. We condemn all social media accounts and press outlets that used our genuine words as part of their own narrative, unrelated to our intentions and motivations.

We legitimize and respect the positions taken by all Faculties, both at our University and at other Universities across the country. We thank all those who supported our approaches and proposals; the faculty of our Faculty, who accompany and defend our interests and motivations, from their stance that disrupting the academic process is not the best way to address the issue; and the University Administration, which has addressed our demands comprehensively and with the best willingness to assist.

June 4, 5, and 6 were filled with precise dialogues and meetings with professors, students, and directors, where we consistently clarified our positions and demands, and our complete willingness to be part of finding a solution that reduces the social impact of ETECSA's new tariffs without compromising the company's economic and financial recovery. We reaffirm that we are not and will not be satisfied with sectoral solutions that do not address all those affected by the measures.

Considering that:

We understand the need to leverage the quality of our faculty and the importance of maintaining the academic process in our Faculty, which is in its final stage and demands even more of our time and attention.

We value other mechanisms and actions to move towards a solution without disrupting the dialogue we will maintain consistently with the University and national authorities in the coming days.

On Friday, June 6, 2025, we received a visit from the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Walter Baluja García, with whom we held a conversation from which we emerged with his commitment to escalate our concerns and suggestions to the highest level.

We learned that the call for the formation, with specialists and students from eight UH Faculties, including ours, of the multidisciplinary group that will accompany ETECSA in analyzing the current economic situation of the company and reevaluating the design and application of the measures, was made official.

After conducting a brigade-level consultation process, ensuring above all unity in our position, with 173 votes in favor (51%), 82 against, and 25 abstentions, we have decided to call our students to return to classes on Monday, June 9, 2025; while we await the start of the work of the multidisciplinary group, scheduled for the upcoming week (June 8-14, 2025), and contemplate a way to express our dissatisfaction and concern that does not directly affect academics.

We consider that the critical situation described by the company has not yet been validated with real and convincing data, nor has any short-term measure been implemented to facilitate connectivity while working on finding real solutions; therefore, we insist on a clarifying broadcast on national television presenting the study supporting the application of the measures, and on extending the national recharge limit, currently set at 360 CUP, or designing and activating "Extra" plans more accessible to the population promptly.

We thank our student body for the strength and will shown during these atypical days, as it fills us with pride to represent such capable, revolutionary, and future-oriented young people of Cuba; and we trust that, with the necessary information, our specialists from the University of Havana and other Universities in the country will be able to offer the best possible solution to the problem facing ETECSA today, ensuring the people's right to free access to information and communication technologies.

Sincerely,

FEU Council of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science of UH

Approved on June 9, 2025, at 12:15 AM

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