Official Structures in Cuba: A Symbol of Inept and Insensitive Bureaucracy, Journalist Claims

Journalist Manuel Somoza has delivered a scathing critique of the official complaint and suggestion mechanisms within the Cuban government, following a recent meeting led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana. Through a public statement shared on his Facebook profile, Somoza recounted his experience with the digital platform meant for citizen communication, describing these structures as "yet another symbol of inept, insensitive, and incapable bureaucracy failing to meet the needs of the moment."

Somoza recalled that on March 31, 2025, he submitted a citizen proposal to Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, backed by his neighbors and the Vice President of the Ceiba-Kohly Council. His proposal suggested implementing a system of free services and discounts of up to 60% on state and private products and services for those over 60 years old, aiming to mitigate the impact of inflation on pensions.

According to his account, the proposal was shuffled around without a clear response among different state entities. Initially, in May, a provincial government official from Havana contacted him to say the document had been forwarded to the governor. By July, two officials at the same level informed him that the proposal was passed on to the vice governor, who was supposedly directing a plan to care for the elderly.

Somoza emphasized that the implementation of his initiative was not within the jurisdiction of a provincial government but should be the responsibility of the Prime Minister. However, the proposal got lost in the bureaucratic maze. "I still have no idea where the citizen proposal ended up, with the strong suspicion that it must be gathering dust in some drawer," he wrote.

The journalist linked his complaint to recent remarks by Díaz-Canel, who urged local authorities to "shake off their passivity" in addressing issues plaguing the capital, including garbage, power outages, and shortages. Somoza highlighted that this passivity is embedded in the very structures meant to listen to the people, which he described as useless tools of an administration disconnected from reality.

"The fate of our proposal is not an isolated incident," the journalist warned, urging leaders to "face the harsh Cuban reality," characterized by unfulfilled promises, ineffective plans, and growing social distrust. During recent meetings with ministers, military chiefs, and high-ranking officials of the Political Bureau after protests and pot-banging demonstrations shook the capital, Díaz-Canel acknowledged that "the people's demands are legitimate, but they must be raised in the designated places: the Party, government institutions, and state entities."

In this context, Cuban journalist José Raúl Gallego shared on social media, "For the first time, we might have to listen to Díaz-Canel: protests should be directed there. To the Party, the government, the police stations. Occupy those spaces that rightfully belong to the citizens and remove those who have usurped power for six decades, responsible for all of Cuba's problems."

During one of the sessions, Díaz-Canel stated that "all organizations, institutions, and party structures" are focused on the capital and acknowledged that the issues are "significant" and "cannot be solved in a weekend," demanding systematic work. He also admitted to "accumulated organizational problems" identified in the current support operation.

Díaz-Canel's call to "put things in order in Havana" sparked a wave of indignation and sarcasm among citizens. Thousands of comments echoed a central idea: the real disorder isn't in the streets but within the country's administration. "If you want to clean up, start with the Council of State," one user responded to the official message, while another quipped, "After 66 years of disaster, now they remember order."