Cuban priest Alberto Reyes Pías, who serves the parish of Esmeralda in Camagüey, shared the 168th installment of his weekly column "I've Been Thinking" on Friday. His message directly addresses the essence of the protests in Cuba, emphasizing that the Cuban people's cry is not merely a plea for basic services but a demand for liberty and political transformation.
Under the title "I've Been Thinking About the Identity of Our Cry," Reyes constructs his argument using an unusual approach: consulting an artificial intelligence about the causes behind the public discontent during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who seized power through a coup in 1952.
The AI tool identified several reasons for the public's rejection at that time, including censorship, repression of dissent through arbitrary arrests, widespread corruption within security forces, centralized power, and significant emigration driven by economic hardships.
Reyes skillfully draws a parallel without explicit explanation. "It's disheartening to acknowledge that we've moved from one dictatorship to another, one that not only replicated the same mistakes but also plunged the country into poverty and ruin, turning us into a nation of beggars," he notes.
He recognizes that the Revolution began with specific promises: a nation free from fear, repression, and censorship, where emigration would be a choice, not a desperate escape. However, he concludes that those promises were fundamentally betrayed.
A Call for Awareness Beyond Material Shortages
Reyes issues a warning to both Cubans on the island and observers abroad: material scarcity should not obscure the reality of what's happening. "While it may seem that our protests over life's shortages are simply about survival, and we appear to be in the streets asking for electricity, water, or food," he admits, "our true cry is for 'Homeland and Life!', for 'System Change!', for 'Freedom!', for 'Enough is Enough!'"
The column comes during a period of severe crisis. In July 2026, Cuba experienced three complete collapses of its National Electric System, with generation deficits exceeding 2,000 MW during peak hours. These failures left millions without power. Essential medications have been available at only 30% of normal supply since 2025, infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 per 1,000 births, and food production has dropped significantly.
During this crisis, the Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded a historic high of 107 protests in June 2026, with 82 occurring in Havana. Independent organizations estimate that over 1,300 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Cuba, hundreds of whom were directly punished for the protests on July 11, 2021.
Father Reyes: A Consistent Voice of Criticism
Reyes is not a new or spontaneous voice. Since 2020, he has been a persistent critic within the island through his column. In January 2026, State Security summoned him along with another priest in Camagüey. In May 2024, he made a symbolic gesture by announcing he would ring his church's bells 30 times each night during power outages. In recent writings, he described Cuba as a "country at war" due to blackouts and shortages, and last week, he suggested that those in power are also afraid of the people.
On the fifth anniversary of the July 11 protests —the largest anti-government demonstrations in Cuba in decades— new pot-banging protests erupted in Old Havana and Guanabacoa, indicating that the flame Reyes describes has not been extinguished. His conclusion in the 168th installment leaves no room for ambiguity: "Our cry is not for assistance; it is for radical change, for the end of chains, for life in freedom."
Understanding the Crisis in Cuba
What are the main reasons for the protests in Cuba according to Father Reyes?
Father Reyes emphasizes that the protests are not just about basic needs but are a demand for freedom and political transformation, highlighting issues such as censorship, repression, and centralized power.
How has the Cuban government failed its people according to the article?
The Cuban government has failed by replicating past dictatorship mistakes, leading to poverty, repression, and a betrayal of revolutionary promises for a fear-free and censorship-free nation.
What recent events have exacerbated the crisis in Cuba?
Recent events include massive power outages, a severe shortage of essential medications, rising infant mortality rates, and significant declines in food production.