Amanda Beatriz Andrés Navarro, from the Out of the Box Cuba channel, released a video on Monday in which she suggests that a segment of the Cuban populace suffers from what she terms political Stockholm syndrome: a psychological adaptation to prolonged abuse that leads the victim not only to tolerate the oppressor but to applaud them.
"A portion of the Cuban people suffers from Stockholm syndrome. That's the only explanation I have for those who praise their wrongdoers. It's not genuine admiration or ideological conviction; it's an adaptation to abuse," she states in the video.
The primary argument is that this phenomenon does not stem from true belief but from decades of continuous fear, total dependence on the State, lack of real alternatives, and punishment for disobedience. "When someone is subjected to constant fear, total dependence, absence of real choices, and punishment for disobedience over a long period, the mind seeks an escape to reduce suffering. The most effective method is to justify the oppressor, making the pain more tolerable," she explains.
This reflection connects with two documented conceptual frameworks. Stockholm syndrome was coined in 1973 by Swedish psychiatrist Nils Bejerot following a bank robbery where a hostage developed emotional bonds with her captor. Although not officially listed in the DSM-IV, the term's extension into the political realm describes how citizens under prolonged oppression develop identification with the regime, adopting its values and normalizing mistreatment.
In the Cuban context, intellectual Dagoberto Valdés coined the term anthropological damage to describe the profound deterioration of personal subjectivity caused by totalitarianism: cognitive atrophy, double standards, distrust, and paralyzing fear. Luis Aguilar León identified six concrete manifestations of this damage: servility, fear of repression and change, lack of civic will, hopelessness, internal exile, and ethical crisis.
Social Control and Its Consequences
For over 65 years, the regime has established a comprehensive system of social control, combining indoctrination from childhood with slogans like "Pioneers for Communism, we will be like Che," community surveillance through the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution—created in 1961 with Castro's declared aim to establish "a system of collective revolutionary vigilance"—and total dependence on the State for employment, education, and basic services.
The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution have been the most pervasive surveillance arm of the system for decades, infiltrating every block and building in the country to monitor citizens' behaviors.
According to the video’s author, the process's final stage is not silence but active applause. "It’s not weakness. It’s indoctrination. And the final stage isn’t silence; it’s applause. At that point, control no longer needs force; it operates on its own."
The most compelling evidence that this support is neither universal nor spontaneous is the massive exodus: over a million Cubans have emigrated since 2021, reducing the population from 11.3 million to approximately 8.6-8.8 million. The protests on July 11, 2021, where thousands shouted "We are not afraid" and "Homeland and Life," demonstrated that breaking the cycle of fear is possible.
The brutal subsequent repression—over 700 sentenced and around 600 political prisoners still in 2024—reinstated forced silence, a pattern the regime has repeated whenever citizens have attempted to voice their dissent, including organizing repudiation acts against those daring to dissent.
Andrés Navarro ends her video with a call to action and a phrase popularly attributed to Pablo Neruda, though considered apocryphal by researchers: "It is time to free ourselves from the yoke that oppresses us, to remove the blindfold from our eyes and awaken. We cannot be afflicted by this Stockholm syndrome forever. We must turn fear into hope. They may cut all the flowers, but they cannot stop the spring. And this one smells like freedom."
Understanding the Psychological Impact of Oppression in Cuba
What is political Stockholm syndrome?
Political Stockholm syndrome refers to a psychological adaptation where individuals subjected to prolonged abuse and oppression begin to identify with and even support their oppressors.
How has the Cuban regime maintained control over its citizens?
The Cuban regime has maintained control through a comprehensive system of social control, including indoctrination from a young age, community surveillance, and total dependence on the State for employment and basic services.
What evidence suggests that support for the regime is not universal in Cuba?
The massive emigration of over a million Cubans since 2021 and the July 11, 2021 protests, where thousands expressed dissent, suggest that support for the regime is neither universal nor spontaneous.