Cuban Regime Escalates Crackdown on Independent Media, Blames 'The People' for Justification

The Cuban regime has launched yet another offensive against the independent media outlet El Toque, this time under the guise of a "popular denunciation." The special broadcast of the program Razones de Cuba suggested public outcry, yet no ordinary citizens were featured.

Instead, only the voices of Colonel Francisco Estrada Portales, a state security crimes instructor from the MININT, and former Cuban intelligence agent Raúl Capote were heard. This was another political maneuver shrouded in propaganda.

The False Narrative and Misleading Accusations

The broadcast attempted to portray "the Cuban people" as pointing fingers at El Toque. In reality, it was a thinly veiled attempt to criminalize the independent outlet by associating it with "terrorism" and accusing it of "subversion," while pinning the island's economic woes on them.

For thirty minutes, Razones de Cuba worked to link El Toque to alleged funding from the NED, USAID, and the U.S. State Department, echoing a script that dates back to the 1990s. This narrative has traditionally been used to connect any critical voice to the so-called "anti-Cuban mafia" and terrorism.

Unsubstantiated Claims and Historical Parallels

Colonel Estrada went as far as comparing the work of El Toque to that of Salvadoran terrorists dispatched by Luis Posada Carriles to Havana three decades ago, who targeted hotels in the Cuban capital.

Last week, presenter Humberto López publicly accused the outlet of "financial terrorism," reiterating that El Toque "lowers the standard of living for Cubans" and manipulates exchange rates to "sabotage the economy."

No concrete evidence was presented, nor was there any independent economic assessment, verifiable data, or technical reports. The discourse was purely political declarations.

Propaganda Amidst Reality

The official newspaper Granma supported the broadcast with a lengthy article that almost verbatim repeated accusations of foreign funding, speculative manipulation of exchange rates, conspiracies from Eastern Europe, and the notion that El Toque operates as a "media warfare project."

The core of the broadcast's narrative intertwined old Cold War specters with baseless accusations. Raúl Capote played a key role, claiming to be the man who "was inside the enemy" and could explain how the media outlet was "manufactured."

According to Capote, Cuban journalists with ties to Radio Nederland—an institution where professionals from many countries have been trained—were allegedly influenced by European anti-communist structures. He even alleged that CIA-affiliated operators roamed Cuba in the 2010s to "hunt for talent" within the emerging blogosphere.

Amidst Accusations, Cuba Faces Real Struggles

While the government dramatizes a televised accusation, the country's real issues remain unaddressed. On the day of the propagandist broadcast, Cuba faced an electricity deficit of nearly 1,800 MW.

The Unión Eléctrica confirmed nearly 24-hour power outages, with thermoelectric plants offline, power stations stalled due to fuel shortages, and demand far outstripping the system's capacity.

In such conditions, few Cubans could even watch the program. The lack of electricity, limited internet access, and weariness from months of crisis meant Razones de Cuba reached a minimal audience.

A Smokescreen for Deeper Issues

The campaign against El Toque surfaces as the government grapples with:

• Uncontrolled inflation
• A currency plummeting in the informal market
• Food shortages
• Overwhelmed hospitals
• Mass migration
• A critically dysfunctional electrical system

The crackdown on independent media becomes a smokescreen, aiming to blame a digital portal for a structural crisis born from decades of inefficiency and centralization.

While the regime points fingers, everyday Cubans—the true people—continue to light candles, endure salary devaluation, and seek alternatives to survive.