Cuban singer Manolín, known as "the Doctor of Salsa," took to Facebook on Wednesday to deliver a scathing critique of the Cuban regime's "My Signature for the Homeland" campaign. He urged his fellow Cubans to "wake up" and refrain from supporting those who oppress them.
Launched by the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) this past Sunday, the campaign is portrayed as a "spontaneous" civil society movement. However, it is orchestrated by the Central Committee's Ideological Department to gather signatures endorsing the Revolutionary Government's Declaration "Girón is today and always."
"Open your eyes, fellow citizens; don't save your executioners," Manolín wrote, accusing the regime of setting up a "mass suicide" of the people to maintain its grip on power.
The Threat of "People's War"
Manolín directly points to Raúl Castro as the chief architect of this plan. He describes the "people's war" doctrine as a sinister strategy to use citizens as cannon fodder in a potential conflict with the United States.
"We Cubans are their hostages, their slaves, and their human shields," the singer asserted. He believes the regime is aware it cannot win a war against Washington and is banking on the world intervening due to the high civilian toll, allowing the leadership to stay in power.
Calls for Fundamental Freedoms
In his post, Manolín recalls a friend's words from Havana: "These sons of b swore they'd take everything to the grave with them, including us, and they're making good on it."
He lists what the regime refuses to grant: the release of political prisoners, free elections, freedom of expression, press freedom, and equal rights for all Cubans.
Widespread Opposition
Manolín is not new to criticizing the regime's war rhetoric. He previously wrote, "It's always been like this; they never call the people for anything good. War for Angola, war for Ethiopia, war for Venezuela, war for Grenada, war for Ukraine, and now war in Cuba too."
He is not alone in rejecting the initiative. Opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer declared last Sunday, "No signatures in support of tyranny. With or without signatures, they will fall soon; we will bring them down soon."
On social media, participants in the campaign are mocked with phrases like "escaped from folic acid" or "for each signature, 10 more hours of blackout."
This is not the first instance of such tactics by the regime. In September 2025, a similar campaign was conducted to support Maduro. The Ministry of Education demanded signatures from minors, threatening them with being labeled as counter-revolutionaries, prompting Cubalex to file a formal complaint for child rights violations.
Understanding the Opposition to Cuba's "My Signature for the Homeland" Campaign
What is the "My Signature for the Homeland" campaign?
The "My Signature for the Homeland" campaign is a movement initiated by the Communist Party of Cuba to gather support for the Revolutionary Government's Declaration, under the guise of a spontaneous civil society initiative.
Why is Manolín critical of this campaign?
Manolín criticizes the campaign because he believes it serves to maintain the regime's power by using citizens as pawns in a potential conflict with the United States, and he urges Cubans not to support their oppressors.
How have others responded to the campaign?
Opposition figures like José Daniel Ferrer have denounced the campaign, and social media users have mocked participants, highlighting a broader resistance to the regime's tactics.