The Communist Party of Cuba's (PCC) propaganda machine went to extraordinary lengths with its "My Signature for the Homeland" campaign, setting up tables with signature sheets at the entrances of the Sunday agricultural fair at Plaza del Tenis in Matanzas. Thousands of citizens visit this market weekly to purchase essential food items.
A social media profile, DIAZ CANEL SIN GAO, highlighted this incident, describing it as "an entirely sickening affair." The account criticized the PCC's propaganda department for its relentless pursuit of its objectives, disregarding the material resources expended to achieve them, irrespective of the sacrifices involved.
Initiated on April 19 by Yuniasky Crespo Baquero, head of the Ideological Department of the PCC's Central Committee, the campaign aimed to gather signatures in support of the Declaration "Girón is Today and Always," which was officially presented as a spontaneous civil society movement.
Signature Drive Extends Beyond Matanzas
The campaign did not stop in Matanzas. Another social media user, Damaris Armas, reported that signatures were also being collected at the Santa Clara market, describing the approach as "going stall by stall."
Cuban citizens expressed a mix of outrage and sarcasm regarding the situation. Ami Lapinga commented humorously, "If you signed, they supposedly gave you a little bag. Empty, but still a bag."
Maria Fleites took a more serious tone, suggesting, "Any moment now, they'll send donated rice to the store and demand a signature before you can get it. They're capable of anything, as if that nonsense had any value."
Pressure and Resistance
The skepticism expressed by Fleites was not unfounded. A leaked audio recording in May revealed the phrase "Sign or resign" being used as a coercive tactic in workplaces. State enterprise managers were pressured to secure at least 80% of signatures from their employees under threat of termination.
Sergio Quintana offered a more analytical view, describing the operation as "another way to gauge their follower count, like conducting surveys to measure approval levels."
Not everyone complied. Cuban citizen Claudia González publicly refused to sign, stating, "My dignity is not for sale." Residents of Cárdenas, Matanzas, also reported resistance to pressure to endorse the official document.
Opposition figures such as José Daniel Ferrer from the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and Manuel Cuesta Morúa labeled the campaign as a "farce" and "mass coercion," questioning its legitimacy in a nation plagued by chronic blackouts, severe shortages, and a 23% decline in GDP since 2019.
On May 1, the regime declared that it had collected 6,230,973 signatures—more than 56% of Cuba's total population, including children and the elderly—which were symbolically presented to Raúl Castro and Díaz-Canel during the main May Day event in Havana.
Key Concerns About Cuba's Signature Campaign
What is the "My Signature for the Homeland" campaign?
The "My Signature for the Homeland" campaign is an initiative by the Communist Party of Cuba to gather signatures in support of the Declaration "Girón is Today and Always," presented as a spontaneous civil society movement.
How did citizens react to the signature campaign?
Cuban citizens reacted with a mix of indignation and sarcasm, with some refusing to sign and others mocking the campaign's tactics.
What tactics were used to ensure signatures?
Tactics included setting up signature tables at local markets and applying pressure in workplaces, where employees were told to "sign or resign."