Díaz-Canel Evades Crisis Solution with Metaphorical Rhetoric

When directly asked if Cuba can overcome its ongoing crisis, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel dodged the question on Monday, opting instead for a metaphor borrowed from Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano. This sidestep, reminiscent of sophists from the school of Afanásiev, avoided providing a concrete answer.

“Utopia is on the horizon. As we walk two steps, it moves two steps back. The horizon advances ten steps. What is the purpose of utopia? To keep walking. I would say hope is the same thing,” Díaz-Canel remarked in an exclusive interview with RT en Español. This statement essentially acknowledges the absence of a clear solution to the hardships facing the Cuban populace.

The question was posed by Oliver Zamora, a Havana correspondent for the Russian propaganda channel and a familiar face on Cuban state television. Zamora asked the well-rehearsed leader if there was hope "despite everything," only to receive a convoluted answer instead of a tangible plan.

Díaz-Canel's response, rather than addressing citizens' concerns, echoed a famous quote from Argentine filmmaker Fernando Birri, popularized by Galeano in his book 'Walking Words.' The original philosophical idea—utopia as a driving force, not an achievable goal—came across as resignation in the hands of the regime's "straw man": hope leads nowhere specific, merely serving as motivation to keep moving.

In a dictatorship, only those in power can afford to answer their people's urgent questions with such pseudo-literary frivolity.

Dire Circumstances and Empty Promises

The context of this response is dire. In the same interview with RT, Díaz-Canel admitted that "no fuel shipments have arrived for six months, except for one Russian vessel," while Cuba requires between 90,000 and 110,000 barrels of oil daily, producing just 40,000. Venezuelan supplies collapsed following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026.

Cuba's economy has shrunk by over 15% since 2020, with external forecasts predicting an additional 7.2% decline this year. Recently, the regime announced a 53% increase in the minimum wage for the budgeted sector, raising it from 2,100 to 3,210 pesos per month. However, with the dollar trading between 660 and 695 pesos in the informal market in July 2026, this new minimum wage amounts to just $4.65 to $5 monthly, far from sufficient to meet basic needs.

Díaz-Canel promised RT that the regime would implement 121 of the more than 170 approved economic transformations by the end of July, prioritizing retirees and vulnerable individuals. He also claimed that companies from Latin America, Europe, and Asia are interested in investing, though he admitted these contacts are kept private due to U.S. pressure.

Using RT as a platform follows a familiar pattern: the leader uses this channel to project narratives of resistance to sympathetic audiences, not to be accountable to the Cubans enduring the crisis.

Journalistic Luxuries Amidst Crisis

Zamora, the journalist who posed the question, drew controversy in May 2025 for acquiring a Chinese Bestune T55 SUV valued at $26,845—a luxury beyond reach for the vast majority of Cubans.

While the regime accumulates promises without verifiable results, Díaz-Canel persists with his "creative resistance" strategy against external pressure.

The metaphor of an unattainable utopia inadvertently sums up six decades of unfulfilled promises: a horizon of well-being, dignity, and justice that continually retreats.