Cuban comedian and actor Ulises Toirac recently shared his thoughts on freedom of thought through a Facebook post, encapsulating a viewpoint he's maintained throughout 2026: "Freedom begins in the mind, and when one is free, there's a hunger for new ideas and an openness to understanding others' perspectives."
In his post, Toirac strongly advocated for respectful dialogue while firmly opposing verbal aggression on social media platforms: "I always call for respect, enriching conversations, and informed, objective discussions. There's no justification for attacking, insulting, or defending what..."
The Importance of Thoughtful Discourse
This idea is not new in Toirac's rhetoric and directly connects to his recent comments on Cubamastv's podcast "Todos Hablan." During the podcast, he expressed his refusal to become accustomed to the hardships imposed by Cuba's ongoing crisis.
"I don't want to get used to having no electricity for 20 hours a day," he said in that interview, also mentioning reliance on makeshift vehicles and the necessity to walk to save money.
A Stand Against Normalizing Hardship
Toirac emphasized that his stance is not born out of desperation but from a deliberate decision not to normalize what is abnormal. This position, as he has explained, stems from exercising the very freedom of thought he champions in his latest post.
Throughout this year, the writer and director has ramped up his criticism of the Cuban government, with a frequency and intensity rarely seen among the island's artistic figures.
In early September, he blamed the government for the electrical collapse, highlighting that the energy crisis is a result of decades of poor internal decisions and short-sighted planning.
Earlier that month, he labeled the power outages as a "crime" and condemned the inequitable distribution of electricity and the surrounding corruption.
The Citizen's Voice
In July, he called for the release of all political prisoners and described living in Cuba as "a nightmare."
Toirac has repeatedly asserted that his Facebook page is not "a politician's profile," but rather a space for a citizen and artist who refuses to remain silent in the face of crisis.
This consistency between thought and expression is captured in the phrase concluding his latest post: for Toirac, freedom doesn't start in the streets or within laws, but in the individual decision to think independently.
Understanding Ulises Toirac's Perspective on Freedom
Why does Ulises Toirac believe freedom starts in the mind?
Toirac believes that true freedom begins in the mind because it fosters a desire for new ideas and an understanding of different perspectives, which he sees as essential to being genuinely free.
What stance does Toirac take against the Cuban crisis?
Toirac refuses to accept the hardships of the Cuban crisis as normal, choosing instead to highlight and criticize the government's role in perpetuating these conditions through poor decision-making and corruption.
How does Toirac use his social media platform?
Toirac uses his Facebook profile as a platform for expressing his views as a citizen and artist, rather than as a political figure, focusing on advocating for freedom of thought and criticizing the Cuban government.