Hades Ernesto Jesús Rey Dueñas, a Cuban content creator known on Instagram as @mad.erne.zz, recently shared a video on the platform detailing how he almost faced expulsion from his university in Cuba. His "crime"? Exposing the harsh realities of student life for those on scholarships. "I almost got expelled for making a video. Let me tell you the story they don't want you to know," the young man stated.
During his second week as a physics student in a different province, he decided to film a "day in the life" video of a scholarship student. He showcased the true conditions – the food, the dorm rooms, and the bathrooms. "These bathrooms were so filthy that even my dad, who's a tough guy, said, 'This is terrible,'" he recalled.
Shortly after uploading the footage, Ernesto received a call from an unknown number. "It was the dean... Indiscipline, video, and he warned me that there would be a review on Monday. Moments later, a deeper voice: 'Ernesto, good afternoon. I'm the vice rector. There's a new communication law. State institutions can't be filmed. Delete the video, or the review will be harsher,'" he recounted.
Faced with the threat of punishment, Ernesto, who was aspiring to graduate in physics, opted to remove the video. "I cleverly deleted it," he said. However, that did not alleviate the pressure from the academic authorities.
"On Monday, the dean, vice dean, and finally the vice rector showed up for the review. They greeted me arrogantly, and I responded in kind. They labeled my content as counter-revolutionary, subversive, and manipulative. They even threatened to investigate if I was being paid by counter-revolutionaries for my videos. I wish, my friend, I wish," the young creator narrated.
Since then, Ernesto claims he was marked within the university. "My main professor despised me, always looking for any excuse to expel me. But that's a story for another video," he mentioned.
The Cuban reflected on his experience, highlighting the censorship within the state education system. "I learned that in some systems, the truth is the gravest crime. And your silence is the price of a piece of paper worth less than your dignity," he stated.
At the end of his video, Ernesto posed a question to his followers: "Do you think I did the right thing by deleting the video?"
His testimony has gone viral on social networks, once again spotlighting the control and censorship the Cuban regime imposes on freedom of expression, even within the country's universities, where students face repercussions for publicly revealing the everyday realities the system seeks to conceal.
Ernesto no longer studies at the Cuban university. He has chosen to educate himself in other disciplines independently and dreams of launching his professional life in a more competitive and free society.
Insights on Censorship and Education in Cuba
What prompted the Cuban student to delete his video?
The student deleted the video after receiving a threatening call from the university's vice rector, who cited a new communication law and warned of severe repercussions if the video was not removed.
How did the university authorities react to the video?
The university authorities reacted by labeling the student's content as counter-revolutionary and subversive, and they threatened to investigate his motives and potential funding sources.
What did the student learn from his experience with censorship?
The student learned that in some systems, revealing the truth can be considered a serious offense, and maintaining silence can come at the cost of one's dignity.