Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, the national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), has publicly praised a Cuban man who has turned to fish farming at home as a means of survival amidst the country’s severe food crisis. In a Facebook post, the former Cuban spy highlighted the efforts of Omar, a resident of El Cornito in Las Tunas, who has successfully cultivated fish in his backyard.
"When promoting fish farming in backyards on this blockaded island was mentioned, there was no shortage of ridicule from the haters. In El Cornito, at the entrance to Las Tunas, Omar knows that he who laughs last, laughs best," Hernández wrote. However, he did not address the reasons why most Cubans have been unable to eat fish for years, except for the few who can afford it on the black market.
"The solution to fishing isn’t this. The solution would be a Cuban Fishing Fleet like the one we had decades ago!" commented a social media user. "Here, I buy salmon in the store; I don't have to farm anything, hahaha what a horror, poor people," mocked a Cuban living in the United States.
Hernández’s commendation of such initiatives is not new. In February 2024, in Havana, he congratulated a family in Los Pinos, Arroyo Naranjo, for growing vegetables in their yard and praised an elderly woman in San Agustín, La Lisa, who cultivated spices and malanga on her apartment’s fourth-floor balcony. In both instances, official propaganda showcased these stories as examples of resilience and creativity in the face of food scarcity.
On social media, Hernández's posts have sparked significant criticism, with many Cubans questioning the portrayal of these individual efforts as sustainable solutions to the nation’s food crisis. "Being creative to resist," has been his justification to those who accuse him of exploiting the citizens' hardships for political gain.
Continued Advocacy for Self-Sufficiency
Since taking over leadership of the CDR, Hernández has consistently emphasized the need for Cuban families to grow crops and raise animals in their yards as a response to the food crisis. During the pandemic, he advocated for home self-sufficiency as a way to mitigate the shortage of basic goods.
At that time, Hernández proposed that if each CDR planted a pumpkin, it would result in 138,000 additional pumpkins across the country. He also encouraged expanding cultivation in backyards, rooftops, and plots, as well as promoting animal husbandry as a food source.
For Cubans, these "solutions" highlight the collapse of the productive system, which has forced the population to resort to primitive subsistence methods instead of receiving adequate supplies from the state. Despite the criticism, Hernández continues to push the "Grow Your Little Piece" campaign, presenting family self-consumption as a strategy of resilience against the Island's economic crisis.
Understanding Cuba's Food Crisis and Self-Sufficiency Efforts
Why did Gerardo Hernández praise a Cuban man raising fish at home?
Gerardo Hernández praised the initiative as an example of resilience and creativity in overcoming the severe food crisis in Cuba.
What criticism has Gerardo Hernández faced regarding his advocacy for self-sufficiency?
He has been criticized for portraying individual initiatives as sustainable solutions to the ongoing food crisis, with many questioning the effectiveness of such measures.
What alternative solutions have been suggested for Cuba's fishing industry?
Some suggest the revival of a Cuban Fishing Fleet similar to that from decades ago as a more viable solution than individual fish farming.