The first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party in Holguín, Joel Queipo Ruiz, has removed a Facebook post in which he criticized young members of the independent audiovisual project El4tico, who were recently detained by State Security.
A screenshot of the post, obtained by CiberCuba, shows that it is no longer visible on the communist leader's profile.
In his now-deleted message, Queipo targeted Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Kamil Zayas, prominent figures of the dissident space in Holguín, using overtly hostile language: "faces that appear innocent but have the souls of traitorous invaders."
El4tico is one of Cuba's most followed independent projects. Operating from a small room turned studio, its creators blend analysis, satire, and sociopolitical criticism to discuss sensitive issues about Cuban reality, gaining popularity among young people and citizens dissatisfied with the official narrative.
However, according to the PCC's first secretary, the project does not serve the interests of the Cuban people but rather a supposed foreign agenda.
"They are not just content creators," Queipo wrote in the deleted post, asserting that the project "serves imperial interests" and accusing the young people of encouraging disobedience against the constitutional order.
In his text, the communist leader also claimed that the youths pose as human rights advocates, but in reality, according to him, they support a military intervention in Cuba.
He reiterated the regime's old argument about the existence of a "manual" funded with "millions of dollars" to "overthrow the Revolution," labeling the youth as "sellouts of the nation."
"The Cuban people will never allow sellouts of the nation to try to take away our freedom and sovereignty," the official declared in the post.
Queipo concluded his message by invoking Fidel and Raúl Castro, underscoring the repressive tone of the official discourse: "there will be no room for those who appear innocent but have sold their souls to the invaders."
The removal of the post comes at a particularly tense moment, marked by the detention of El4tico's members and the growing public rejection of the smear campaigns promoted by Communist Party structures against critical voices within the island.
For many Cubans, the deletion of the message by the official reflects the regime's discomfort when its attacks are publicly exposed and generate indignation both inside and outside the country.
Impact of Political Repression in Cuba
Why did Joel Queipo Ruiz delete his Facebook post?
Joel Queipo Ruiz deleted his Facebook post likely due to the public backlash and exposure of the regime's aggressive stance against independent voices, which could lead to further criticism both domestically and internationally.
What is El4tico, and why is it significant?
El4tico is an independent audiovisual project in Cuba known for its analysis, satire, and criticism of sociopolitical issues. It is significant because it is widely followed by those dissatisfied with the Cuban government's official narrative.
How does the Cuban government view El4tico?
The Cuban government views El4tico as a threat, accusing it of serving foreign interests and inciting disobedience against the constitutional order, rather than supporting the Cuban people's interests.