Cuban Criticizes Díaz-Canel: "Less Talk, More Food and Human Rights"

A Cuban citizen named Cesáreo Navas y Morlanes took to Facebook to publish an open letter addressed to Miguel Díaz-Canel, demanding that he move away from empty political rhetoric and urgently address the humanitarian crisis affecting retirees, the sick, and people with disabilities on the island.

The letter, titled "TODAY IN 'SHARED CRITERION,'" was a direct response to the bi-weekly radio program on Radio Rebelde that Díaz-Canel co-hosts with journalist Bárbara Betancourt since its inception on September 23.

Navas begins his letter by stating, "Díaz-Canel, you are mistaken again; the party and its most fervent militants cannot, on their own, tackle the worsening survival conditions of hundreds of thousands of retired seniors, sick individuals without medication, and physically disabled people."

He questions whether the leader is unaware—or unwilling to acknowledge—the everyday hardships faced by the population: "It seems, from your words, that you do not know or choose to ignore the painful and humiliating life people are living."

To address this, Navas suggests a straightforward yet uncomfortable solution: walk through the streets of Montes, Galeano, and Reina, as well as the parks of Curita and Fraternity, and the tenements in Havana without an entourage or cameras. "Walk the streets, without fanfare or press, try not to be recognized, try to be invisible (it's very difficult)," he advises, even suggesting that he use the makeup and costume experts from ICRT to go unnoticed.

Navas also dismisses the idea that the Communist Party alone can solve the "great social chaos" and proposes turning the offices of the PCC, UJC, CTC, and the Association of Combatants into centers to aid, feed, and clothe the most vulnerable, in coordination with religious and professional organizations.

The letter concludes with a phrase that captures the frustration of many: "PLEASE, we need less rhetoric, fewer slogans and heroic calls, and, yes, more food, medicine, and respect for all human rights."

The term "teque"—widely recognized in Cuban colloquial speech—refers to the repetitive and propagandistic official political discourse that is disconnected from reality.

Navas's critique comes at a time when the statistics on the social situation are staggering. According to figures from the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, 79% of those over 70 cannot eat three meals a day. The minimum pension of 4,000 pesos per month is equivalent to just seven to ten dollars at the informal exchange rate, while an economist calculated that a person needs more than 96,000 pesos a month to meet basic needs.

The second broadcast of "Shared Criterion," held this Wednesday, received over 50 calls from citizens about social vulnerability, medicine shortages, deficient services, and bureaucracy. In response to these complaints, Díaz-Canel acknowledged the medication deficit—which he blamed on a lack of foreign currency due to the embargo—and stated that "the crisis also fosters citizen creativity."

Navas's letter is part of a sustained pattern of direct criticism towards the leader throughout 2026, a year marked by the documented struggles of aging in Cuba on meager pensions and without access to medication, as evidenced by testimonials, surveys, and complaints that the official program itself has been unable to ignore.