A segment from an interview between Cuban journalist Arleen Rodríguez Derivet and former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa has gone viral on social media. The clip captures Rodríguez, a host of the program Mesa Redonda, attempting to justify Cuba's power outages by stating that "José Martí never experienced electric light."
This exchange originally took place last November during the show Conversa con Correa, broadcasted by RT en Español. The video resurfaced this week amidst the worsening energy crisis in Cuba, where continuous blackouts have plagued the country, with some areas suffering outages lasting over 40 hours.
In the clip, Rodríguez claimed: "Someone told me, 'the blackout is terrible.' I said, look, José Martí never knew electric light, yet he was a genius, writing like a deity; I wish I could write a single line like Martí did, even with the lights on."
Correa's immediate reaction was one of incredulity: "But Arleen, we are in the 21st century."
The former Ecuadorian leader's facial expression, a mix of surprise and irony, clearly demonstrated his disagreement with the state journalist's reasoning, as he interrupted her with a gesture that barely concealed his amusement.
Online, Rodríguez's remark prompted a flood of criticism and memes. A user named Yun Ping On, who shared the clip on Facebook, commented: "Arleen Rodríguez Derivet is so unprofessional as a journalist that Rafael Correa had to stop her nonsense. Unmissable! She wants us to remain in Martí's century."
Additionally, psychologist Reybi Sarmiento responded on Facebook with a pointed observation: "Someone needs to inform the journalist that José Martí not only knew about electric light but also wrote about it."
Sarmiento supported his comment with quotes from Martí himself, which debunk Rodríguez's statement. In the introduction to La Edad de Oro (1889), Martí mentions "electric light" among the scientific advancements of his era.
In another of his writings, Martí stated: "The forces of the world must be understood to harness them, and make the electricity that kills in a lightning bolt illuminate as light."
In one of his chronicles from New York, Martí even exclaimed: "Beautiful electric light! ... the soft air illuminated, as if with reflections of angel wings..."
This incident, beyond its anecdotal nature, highlights the stark contrast between the official narrative—which seeks to downplay the severity of the blackouts—and the harsh reality faced by millions of Cubans who endure life without electricity, gas, and with spoiling food.
While the journalist invoked Martí to lessen the crisis's impact, Correa, unfamiliar with the typical justificatory discourse on Cuban television, abruptly halted her with a phrase that became emblematic of the conversation: "We are in the 21st century."
Correa's response was perceived by many internet users as "a live silencing" of one of the most prominent voices in Cuban state propaganda.
Understanding the Context of Cuba's Power Outages
How did Rafael Correa react to Arleen Rodríguez's justification of power outages?
Rafael Correa responded incredulously, highlighting the absurdity of justifying current power outages by referencing José Martí, and emphasized that we are living in the 21st century.
What was Arleen Rodríguez's argument regarding the blackouts in Cuba?
Arleen Rodríguez argued that José Martí did not know electric light, suggesting that even without it, great achievements could be made, thus downplaying the severity of the current power outages in Cuba.
What did José Martí actually write about electric light?
José Martí wrote about electric light as a significant scientific advancement of his time, acknowledging its importance and expressing admiration for its transformative power.