Reflections by Father Alberto Reyes Inspired by a Cuban Child's Remark: "Yankees Are Human"

A six-year-old Cuban child was assigned a school task: to construct a sentence using the word "Yankee." Without parental guidance, the child penned, "Yankees are human." This simple yet profound sentence is recounted by Father Alberto Reyes Pías in the 174th entry of his weekly column "I've Been Thinking," shared on Facebook around the anniversary of September 11.

Reyes Pías describes the aftermath vividly: "hysterical teachers, parental summons, and an 'ideological' analysis of the child." The core issue, as identified by the priest, was glaringly obvious. "Despite months of educational indoctrination, this child had not absorbed the 'correct ideology'; that is, he hadn’t learned to hate or condemn, which was simply intolerable."

The Shadow of September 11

The reflection begins with the commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Father Reyes, the parish priest from Esmeralda in Camagüey, writes, "September 11 returns on the calendar, a day forever marked by the diabolical outcome of a fanatical ideological process." He asserts that "the massacre of the Twin Towers was not rooted in nationality or religion, but in an ideology that divides the world into good and evil, where the 'evil' must be hated, punished, and eradicated."

From this standpoint, Reyes Pías draws a parallel with Nazism, referencing Spanish writer and priest José Luis Martín Descalzo, who depicted how top-tier scientists served Hitler: developing gas chambers, experimenting on humans, and choosing who should live or die without remorse. "They were intellectually brilliant, but they lost their humanity, blinded by an ideology that convinced them of their superiority and their entitlement over others' lives," Reyes cites.

Ideological Parallels and Cuban Repression

Reyes Pías concludes that all totalitarian ideologies follow the same logic. "Whether it's Muslim fundamentalism, fascism, or communism, each ideology breeds individuals who feel superior in their worldview and entitled to dictate the lives of others."

Cuba, he argues, is no different. The priest lists decades of systematic repression: "From the executions at La Cabaña to the UMAP, from 'combatant people's marches' to acts of repudiation, from arbitrary State Security summons to the imprisonment of those who dare to claim their most legitimate rights."

In each instance, he points out, the ruling principle has been identical: "I decide what is right and wrong, I determine the 'correct path,' and you have no right to think or act differently from what I decree the best way. And since I hold the power, you must submit, or face consequences."

Educational Indoctrination and Its Consequences

According to Reyes Pías, this mindset explains the authoritarian behavior, the "warning acts," the feared "stain on the record," ideological evaluations, and aggressive repression characteristic of the Cuban system. The anti-imperialist indoctrination is officially part of the curriculum: documents from the Ministry of Education aim for students to "manifest feelings of rejection towards capitalism and particularly Yankee imperialism." In 2026, there have been documented cases of children forced to chant political slogans in Havana schools and used in "anti-imperialist platforms" against the United States.

Reyes Pías, whose column has over 170 entries and is among the most followed critical voices on the island, concludes his reflection with a direct appeal to Cuban parents: "It's not enough for your children to excel in science, literature, or biology. They must also excel in humanity, love, forgiveness, tolerance, and acceptance of others, so that their passion is never to subjugate others but to build, with everyone, a world of brotherhood."