On Thursday, Cuban activists staged a protest in front of the booth representing Miguel Díaz-Canel's regime at the Madrid Tourism Fair (Fitur), the most significant event of its kind in Europe. Their goal was to raise awareness among tourists and travel agencies about the dangers of collaborating with the Castro dictatorship, either by visiting the island or engaging in business with the Cuban communists. To make their point, the activists donned T-shirts emblazoned with slogans like "Patria y Vida" and "Diaz-Canel, singao."
In response to their demonstration, representatives of the regime attempted to intimidate the protesters, and even alerted the Spanish police to intervene. This was reported on X (formerly Twitter) by Cuban activist Lázaro Mireles, President of the Actions for Democracy Movement, who boasts over 10,000 followers on the platform. "Patriotic brothers were harassed today by the organized mafia of the PCC just for wearing shirts that highlight Cuba’s reality under dictatorship. If you sell a lie in freedom, there is an absolute right to provide context to the audience you try to deceive. That's why we say: #NoTravelToCuba. Complicit agencies, as always, called the police in an attempt to stop these brave Cuban women from freely expressing themselves," Mireles wrote on X.
One of the activists, featured in a video shared on X, expressed their mission: "We are here to denounce the Cuban dictatorship. Cuba is a failed state. We want freedom for all political prisoners. We want to tell all Spaniards not to travel to Cuba," she urged, emphasizing the call for the release of all political detainees.
The Cuban dictatorship, through its Ministry of Tourism, promoted its participation in Fitur on social media, inviting people to visit their booth, located at stand 3B09, to supposedly "discover the magic of an Island" that currently holds over a thousand citizens imprisoned for political reasons. Among these prisoners is Mayelín Rodriguez from Nuevitas, sentenced to 15 years in prison for recording peaceful protests in her town.
This year's Fitur coincided with Miguel Díaz-Canel's regime announcing the release of 553 Cuban political prisoners, allegedly as part of the 2025 Jubilee and following an agreement with the Vatican. However, these releases have been stalled since Donald Trump's inauguration, with organizations like Prisoners Defenders claiming that even two days before Trump took office, the regime had already halted notifications of release to the families of political prisoners. Although the official narrative claims the releases are due to the Jubilee, it is no secret that Biden announced Cuba's removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism on the same day several political prisoners began to be freed. Trump reversed this Democratic order on his first day in office.
Key Issues Surrounding Cuba's Political Climate
Why are activists protesting against Cuba at the Madrid Tourism Fair?
Activists are protesting to raise awareness among tourists and travel agencies about the repercussions of supporting the Cuban regime by visiting the island or doing business with its communist government.
What actions did the Cuban regime take against the protesters?
The Cuban regime attempted to intimidate the activists and called the Spanish police to intervene in an effort to halt their demonstration.
What is the significance of the 2025 Jubilee in relation to Cuban political prisoners?
The 2025 Jubilee was cited by the Cuban regime as a reason for the anticipated release of 553 political prisoners, though the releases have been stalled since Trump's presidency.