Oraisa Estrada, the Cuban Who Spoke Out at the UN: "We Are Not the Cintumbare"

Oraisa Estrada, an Afro-Cuban activist who recently received a standing ovation at the Fifth United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, delivered a powerful message to her fellow Cuban women on the island. She firmly rejected the "Cintumbare" character, which she claims the regime has crafted to mock Cuban women.

"We are not the Cintumbare. To the rest of America, those who think all Cuban women are like Cintumbare, I say no. Cuban women are lively, we laugh, we have our charming way of speaking, but we are not that character that Sandro Castro and the regime have tried to portray on social media. Don't imitate, because imitation leads to failure," she declared.

In an interview with CiberCuba following her participation in the forum, held from April 14 to 17 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Estrada pointed out that the regime uses drugs as a tool for social control in the peripheral neighborhoods where most of the Afro-descendant population resides.

As a member of Cubans for Progress and Integration in Valencia, Estrada called upon Afro-Cuban women to channel their courage into political struggle rather than confrontations among themselves.

"There are many ways to end that regime. Don't use foul language that gets you nowhere. Use your strong voices, use your strength to bring down the regime," she urged.

Remembering Political Prisoners

Estrada reminded everyone of the political prisoners still detained in Cuban jails, including a mother of two young children who, she emphasized, "was killed" rather than dying in prison. She appealed for the same bravery that those who took to the streets on July 11, 2021, demonstrated.

The activist also highlighted the racial symbolism of the events at the UN, where the official Cuban representative tried to silence her at a forum dedicated to the rights of Afro-descendants.

"The representative from Cuba, like most political figures on the island, was white-skinned, while it was the Afro-descendant speaking out for our political prisoners. And this white-skinned man, at a forum for Afro-descendants, says no, that she cannot continue denouncing what is happening to Afro-descendants under the regime. It's very symbolic," remarked Tania Costa, a CiberCuba journalist, during her interview with Estrada, whose UN speech went viral.

Future Plans and a Message of Hope

After her impactful appearance in Geneva, Estrada is preparing to travel to Barcelona this Saturday, where she plans to protest at progressive summits led by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, which will be attended by leaders who support the Cuban regime.

During her conversation with CiberCuba, Estrada shared a touching moment when an African queen mother at the forum approached her after her speech, conveying a message that Estrada holds dear: "Keep speaking beautifully to the world and shout your truth to power."