Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent artist and former political prisoner, asserts that Cubans' views on the root causes of the national crisis have significantly evolved. He believes that most citizens now hold the regime accountable for the country's dire economic and social conditions, rather than attributing them to U.S. sanctions.
In a recent interview with Fox News, the San Isidro Movement co-founder was asked about the Cuban people's perspective on the pressure from the U.S. government on the Cuban regime. He responded by stating that the population increasingly sees the government as the chief culprit for their deteriorating living standards.
"Today, Cubans blame the dictatorship for the issues plaguing Cuba, not the sanctions. They understand that the dictatorship is entirely responsible for the human misery, repression, and everything happening in Cuba," he declared.
Growing Awareness Post-Protests
Otero Alcántara credits this shift in perception to the events following the July 11, 2021 protests and the subsequent wave of repression, which resulted in hundreds of demonstrators being imprisoned. He highlighted that over a thousand political prisoners remain incarcerated, many of whom were not known as opposition figures prior to the protests.
"Currently, there are more than a thousand political prisoners. Two decades ago, it was mainly politicians or activists who were jailed; now, those imprisoned include children and young people who took to the streets to demand their right to live in a dignified country," he noted.
Public Opinion and International Pressure
Otero Alcántara's remarks are in line with findings from the Cuba Survey, a poll initiated in April by a coalition of over 20 independent media outlets, including CiberCuba, which gathered over 41,000 responses from Cubans both on and off the island.
One section focusing on international policies revealed that a majority of respondents supported maintaining or even increasing pressure on the regime, including sanctions targeting officials and heightened diplomatic efforts. Only a small minority felt the crisis should be resolved without external pressure.
This perception aligns with other recent studies. In November 2025, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) reported that a mere 3% of Cubans attributed their hardships to the U.S. embargo, while there was widespread disapproval of the government's economic and social management.
Both this research and the Cuba Survey indicate a similar trend: an increasing number of citizens view the regime's policies, rather than international sanctions, as the primary cause of economic decline, shortages, and the collapse of essential services in the country.
Hopes for Change
In the same interview, Otero Alcántara remarked that this change in perception also reflects the expectations of Cubans for the island's immediate future.
"Cubans are waiting for the dictatorship to fall at any moment, for intervention, for foreign powers to help us," he described, recalling the atmosphere before he left Cuba. In his opinion, widespread social exhaustion has led many to anticipate an outcome that would end the current political and economic turmoil.
Cuban Public Opinion and Regime Accountability
What has changed in Cubans' perception of their national crisis?
Cubans' perception has shifted to increasingly blame the regime for the country's economic and social issues, rather than U.S. sanctions.
What role did the July 11, 2021 protests play in this shift?
The protests and subsequent repression highlighted the regime's responsibility for the crisis, leading to a greater awareness among Cubans of the government's role in their hardships.
How do Cubans view the role of international pressure?
A majority of Cubans support maintaining or increasing international pressure on the regime, seeing it as crucial for change.