As agricultural production plummets and 80% of Cubans face food insecurity, the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) recently held a "singing event against the blockade" at a Havana cooperative to gather support for the pro-government campaign #MiFirmaPorLaPatria.
The event took place at the Arides Estévez Sánchez Credit and Services Cooperative in the Playa municipality of Havana. It was portrayed as a demonstration of alleged farmer support for the revolution, as reported by the official Canal Caribe.
Poets Edward Rodríguez, Felipe Pérez Alvarado, Argelio Torres, and Rodolfo Ortega delivered improvised verses praising the "steadfastness" of the farmers alongside the revolution while criticizing the U.S. embargo, accompanied by musicians Joaquín Santos and Roberto Bermúdez.
Some of the phrases heard during the activity included, "Today the farmer signs for this, for Sabino (Pupo), because every farmer signs and reaffirms for peace."
The event was attended by Félix Duarte Ortega, president of ANAP and a member of both the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee and the Council of State, highlighting the close ties between the farmers' organization and the regime's power structure.
Also present were Ramón Aguilar Betancourt, head of the Agro-Food Commission of the National Assembly of People's Power, and Víctor Dreke, former second-in-command to Che Guevara during the Congo guerrilla campaign in 1965, adding a touch of revolutionary legitimacy to the event.
The #MiFirmaPorLaPatria campaign is presented by the regime as a "spontaneous" civil society initiative but is orchestrated through Communist Party structures in workplaces, universities, and mass organizations.
The campaign was launched on April 20 by President Miguel Díaz-Canel at the Ciénaga de Zapata Memorial Museum in Matanzas, declaring that "the Cuban Revolution will never negotiate its principles." The goal is to collect millions of signatures by May 1.
The stark contrast between the event's rhetoric and the harsh documented reality is undeniable. Official statistics reveal a dramatic decline in Cuba's agricultural output, with rice production down 81%, eggs 61%, root vegetables 44%, and milk 37.6%.
Additionally, 96.4% of agricultural micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are severely restricted due to fuel shortages, and Cuba's GDP has been contracting by 23% since 2019.
Far from demonstrating genuine support, the campaign has sparked widespread rejection. Cubans are taking to social media to demand free elections and denounce hunger and poverty in response to official calls to sign.
Residents of Cárdenas collectively resisted signing despite direct pressures, while writer Wendy Guerra Torres warned international media about threats of job loss, scholarship cancellations, and license revocations for those who refuse to participate.
Independent analysts view the campaign as a smokescreen to distract from the worst economic crisis Cuba has faced since the Special Period.
This is not the first time the regime has employed this tactic. In September 2025, a similar signature campaign was conducted to support then-President Nicolás Maduro, even involving minors under the threat of being labeled as "counter-revolutionaries."
Understanding Cuba's Agricultural and Economic Crisis
What is the #MiFirmaPorLaPatria campaign?
The #MiFirmaPorLaPatria campaign is a government-organized initiative in Cuba aiming to gather signatures in support of the regime, presented as a spontaneous civil society movement but orchestrated through Communist Party structures.
How has agricultural production in Cuba been affected recently?
Cuba's agricultural production has seen dramatic declines, with rice production down 81%, eggs 61%, root vegetables 44%, and milk 37.6%, according to official data.
Why are Cubans rejecting the #MiFirmaPorLaPatria campaign?
Many Cubans are rejecting the campaign due to widespread dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the economic crisis, demanding free elections and expressing frustration over hunger and poverty.