A prayer vigil held in Las Tunas for the recovery of reggaeton artist El Taiger has stirred controversy. A woman leading the gathering defended against critics questioning why Cubans rally for the musician's health rather than to demand their rights, such as protesting against power outages and food shortages. "Who hasn't enjoyed El Taiger's music? Everyone, right? So, to those on social media calling us ridiculous, saying we should pray for electricity or food... we don't care about that. We're praying for his life; he's fighting, all alone in that country, without any family," she declared to a group, amid a blackout.
"Let's make it clear. We're here because we genuinely care. We're not here for a drink or to make those absurd comments circulating online. We are here to pray for him. Everyone knows how to pray. We don't have power [...] Whoever has a phone, turn on the flashlight to make it look nicer because, indeed, there's no electricity," she added.
The unusual scene has been shared across various platforms. Eliécer Ávila posted on Instagram, "Las Tunas: No comment from me. Draw your own conclusions..." prompting numerous indignant reactions from Cubans in the comments section.
"This country gets what it deserves"; "The dictatorship in Cuba isn't the government, it's the people"; "They've gotten so accustomed to hunger that they no longer care," were some of the responses.
Since last Thursday, when the Cuban reggaeton star was found inside his vehicle with a gunshot wound to the forehead, several vigils have taken place in Florida, Cuba, and even Spain, praying for his recovery as he remains in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.