Despair Deepens in Cuba Following Díaz-Canel's Broadcast: "There's No Fixing This Now"

The televised appearance by Miguel Díaz-Canel, during which the Cuban leader acknowledged the energy crisis and called for more sacrifices from the people, has sparked profound frustration and hopelessness among Cubans.

Instead of offering solutions, his speech underscored the severity of the crisis and the absence of a clear path forward for the nation.

A survey conducted by CiberCuba on Facebook captures this sentiment starkly: out of 1,694 votes in under 30 minutes, 84% of participants responded "no, there's no fixing this now" when asked if they believed the regime could overcome the crisis after Díaz-Canel's address.

Another 11% felt the government is "merely buying time," while 3% held out hope for improvement "if real changes are made." Only 2% believed that "they can still be saved."

The results highlight an almost total loss of faith in the dictatorship, even among those who once hoped for a negotiated solution or a gradual economic recovery.

A Return to the Rhetoric of the Past

The leader's message, focused on savings, endurance, and sacrifice, echoed the speeches of Fidel Castro during the Special Period.

Díaz-Canel admitted that since December 2025, no oil has reached the island due to the naval blockade on Venezuela and announced restrictive measures "that cannot be resolved overnight."

He promised austerity and spoke of "postponing activities" to "keep functioning," emphasizing that "surrender is not an option."

On the streets and across social media, the speech was met with either outrage or resignation. Cubans reacted to the CiberCuba survey with comments that encapsulate the nation's sentiment.

Raida Maury wrote: "That bad government has given all it had, and now they ask for more sacrifices from the people. How long can the people endure? They're clinging to power and don't care about the people."

Wisley Estrada echoed the feeling of exhaustion: "But in the end, it was more of the same, nothing new."

Lissette Álvarez added: "They're buying time... and dragging millions along in that game."

Voices of Frustration

Others were more direct. Dayana Ochoa commented: "The best thing is for them to leave the country and dismantle communism; it's the only thing that could make a change."

Jarlo Sánchez quipped: "The fix is in their bank accounts, a couple of million to enjoy."

For Mirian Columbie, "there's no possible change," while Ramón Rodríguez stated: "There's no fixing this while they're in power."

The phrase most frequently repeated was, fittingly, the one that headlines this article. Yipsy Lores summed up what many feel: "No, there's no fixing this now."

Another user, Dama Had, reinforced this notion with two consecutive messages: "A tree that grows crooked will never straighten its trunk" and "There's no fixing this."

Ivania Falcón was categorical: "No, with those people in power, there's nothing to fix."

The discontent has morphed into absolute disenchantment. Each comment reflects a mix of fatigue, anger, and resignation toward a government that, after decades of promises, fails to stabilize the country.

The survey and the reactions to it lay bare a difficult truth: Cubans no longer believe that Díaz-Canel's regime is capable of saving Cuba. Amid power outages, shortages, inflation, and hollow speeches, hope has dimmed as much as the lights in the country's neighborhoods.

And in the midst of this darkness, one phrase is repeated as a national diagnosis: "There's no fixing this now."