Ulises Toirac Slams Cuban Government's Foreign Support: "The Fire Is Here"

Renowned comedian Ulises Toirac voiced his disapproval on Friday regarding the Cuban government's organization of rallies supporting international causes—such as those of Venezuela or Palestine—while severe shortages continue to plague the nation. He emphasized that the primary focus should be on addressing the country's "polycrisis," stating, "The fire is here."

In a compelling Facebook post, Toirac argued that the domestic situation seemingly allows for the mobilization of demonstrations in support of various international causes, even during work hours, despite the fact that the issues at home, particularly economic ones, are pressing enough to warrant immediate attention and resources.

He criticized the government's inertia and the lack of "courageous" and urgent measures to tackle the economic downturn, calling for a "much larger, proactive, objective, and courageous" mobilization to resolve Cuba's crisis. Toirac highlighted that people are "literally dying" due to inadequate hygiene, food, healthcare, and psychological stability, and that power outages exacerbate these conditions, stressing that addressing the crisis cannot be delayed any longer.

Adding to his critique, he noted that many attend these rallies "largely out of fear." For Toirac, if Venezuela and Palestine face significant risks, so does Cuba. He invoked a saying from José Martí about the need for prosperity to practice kindness, urging that internal issues should be prioritized over external ones.

Toirac clarified that he was not calling for widespread street protests, but rather for a prioritization of "our nation, our economy, our citizens, our survival as a Nation." He concluded emphatically, "Enough looking outside… 'The fire is here.'"

His comments followed a government-organized event on Friday, during which the Cuban regime issued a direct warning to the United States amid escalating tensions in the Caribbean, following the deployment of U.S. B-52 bombers near Venezuela's coast.

At a large-scale gathering in Havana, President Miguel Díaz-Canel affirmed Cuba's solidarity with the Chavista regime, declaring that "whoever messes with Venezuela, messes with Cuba." According to the Cuban Presidency's official X account (formerly Twitter), over 50,000 people gathered on the Avenida de los Presidentes in Vedado, Havana, in front of the Simón Bolívar statue, to show "solidarity with Chávez's homeland" and "reject the militarization of the Caribbean by the U.S. government."

Meanwhile, as the Havana government pledges "solidarity with the Venezuelan people," millions of Cubans continue to endure life in the dark, with collapsed hospitals, a lack of potable water, and a dwindling hope that power will return to those who truly need it: the citizens.