Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García has released a powerful video on social media, in which he ridicules the late dictator Fidel Castro and the current leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, branding both as "cowards."
Ferrer leverages a supposed anecdote from Fidel—narrated by himself years ago—where he was swimming underwater and saw a barracuda approaching him. Instead of fleeing, he decided to confront it.
This tale was recounted by Díaz-Canel at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune during a ceremony honoring the 32 soldiers who died in Venezuela during Maduro's capture. Yet, Ferrer, who is frustrated by more than six decades of oppression under the Castro regime, spares no effort in debunking the false myths that the government tries to perpetuate.
The UNPACU (Cuban Patriotic Union) coordinator sarcastically mentioned the notion that Castro was "brave" facing the barracuda underwater, recalling that he never demonstrated courage in real confrontational moments, such as the Moncada assault or the Alegría de Pío battle, where, according to witness accounts, he always avoided direct combat.
"(Fidel) was like an ostrich burying his head in the ground, in the sugarcane fields. And in the Sierra, he couldn't hear a plane nearby because he would get very nervous, very scared, and didn't know where to hide," Ferrer remarked.
The opposition leader continued his attack by asserting that Díaz-Canel, whom he considers even more cowardly than Castro, attempts to portray the same exaggerated anecdote as an example of courage, generating "nonsense" in official and propagandistic speeches.
"Come on, Canel, no one understands your nonsense anymore. You're outdoing yourself all the time. First, 'the lemon is the base of everything'; then, I don't know how many more stupidities. And now what, the story of the barracuda, the bravado with the barracuda," he pointed out.
"Canel, listen, step up and run away already, because you'll have to run more than Fidel Castro," he suggested.
Ferrer didn't stop there. In his message, he hinted that after events like Maduro's capture, the Cuban leader has lost weight, appetite, and physical strength, even joking with exaggerations about his health condition.
"Insomnia must be killing you, and besides insomnia... Someone told me you have problems with your anal sphincter, you haven't been able to control it since January 3," he mocked.
These provocative references aim to highlight the image of a nervous, weak leader without real control over power, amidst a population weary of the official narrative. His criticism goes beyond humor.
For the dissident, such mockery is a way to dismantle the personality cult the regime has woven around Fidel Castro for decades and is now trying to replicate with Díaz-Canel.
Unmasking Regime's Propaganda
The use of the barracuda story by authorities to inspire patriotism and courage is a desperate attempt to revive outdated slogans in a context where the legitimacy of Castroism is declining in public perception both inside and outside the island.
Ferrer points out that it is not merely a simple anecdote but what he describes as empty propaganda, attempting to conceal the reality of a system that has failed to ensure basic rights and welfare for Cubans.
He asserts that the regime has employed all kinds of heroic tales—such as those from the revolutionary past—to distract from the current crisis, social frustration, and ongoing repression.
Moreover, he warns that the Cuban people no longer believe in these stories, and the loss of faith in the Castroist leaders is accompanied by the erosion of the control apparatus and the government itself.
This starkly contrasts with official efforts to revive the personality cult of Fidel and promote discourses of unity and resistance against supposed external enemies.
Calling for Peaceful Action
The video is part of a broader series of recent statements by Ferrer from his exile, where he not only criticizes historical and current regime leaders but also calls on the population to question the official narrative and understand the crisis as a result of a system that has repressed, impoverished, and silenced entire generations.
On Thursday, the dissident insisted that Cubans should seize current conditions to drive change in their country, detach from regime structures, and lead a broad movement for freedom and democracy.
In a message, he urged the population to break ties with state organizations and join pro-democracy groups, either publicly or discreetly.
"They should create profiles with pseudonyms on social media, and express their true feelings and denounce all injustices and the many serious problems affecting Cubans," he asked.
"They should join demands for the release of political prisoners, and those in a position to do so should write graffiti with messages in favor of freedom. It's easy to do and has a great impact…," he added.
For Ferrer, the current situation not only calls for denunciations and statements but concrete actions from the citizenry reflecting a real commitment to freedom, democracy, and well-being.
Understanding the Opposition's Strategy in Cuba
What is José Daniel Ferrer's main critique against the Cuban regime?
José Daniel Ferrer's main critique is against the regime's propagation of empty propaganda and personality cults, which he claims distract from the oppressive reality and the failure to ensure basic rights for Cubans.
How does Ferrer suggest Cubans should respond to the current regime?
Ferrer encourages Cubans to break away from state structures and join pro-democracy groups, using social media to express dissent and engage in acts of civil disobedience like graffiti to demand freedom.