Amelia Calzadilla Strikes Back at Con Filo's Mockery

On Wednesday, Amelia Calzadilla took to Facebook to address the ridicule aimed at her newly established Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party by the presenters of the state-run show Con Filo. She cleverly turned the mockery into a point in her favor.

The Cuban activist, now living in exile in Madrid, expressed her sentiments in an initial response: "Con Filo's sarcastic reaction fills me with pride; it shows how much it pains them to realize that, as a people, we are ready to welcome new national projects that don't come from those who've deprived us of everything."

In a follow-up post, she added, "It takes more than a corrupt diplomat, a terrorist, two episodes of Sinfilo, and four scraggly vultures to dishearten me."

The Trigger of the Sarcastic Video

The controversy began with a satirical video released by Con Filo on the same Wednesday, where host Michel Torres Corona mockingly announced the creation of "their own political party."

In the video, Torres stated, "We're launching our political project, our party, seeing as it's trending... we've decided to have our own too."

He humorously noted that they considered naming it the "communist party," but that name was already taken, and concluded with, "The most important thing, which is funding, is already sorted."

Public Reaction and Criticism

Co-host Gabriela Fernández Álvarez admitted during the video that she wasn't fully informed: "Honestly, I'm learning about many things now. I knew about the party, but we still need to sort out the name and other details."

The reaction to the official program's video was mostly critical and mocking towards Con Filo itself, with name suggestions like "United Party of the Scoundrels," "Party of the Sheep," or "Party of Blackouts."

One viewer captured the essence, stating, "They don't even realize it's sarcasm, it's a jab at Amelia Calzadilla."

Background of the New Political Party

The entire situation originated from Calzadilla's announcement of the Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party, characterized as a center-right liberal party, inspired by Marti's ideas and free market principles, with the slogan "A new path for Cuba. With principles. With freedom. With you."

The announcement was met with widespread support from both exiled Cubans and those on the island, including activist Saily González Velázquez, who remarked, "At last, a party that represents me. With Amelia Calzadilla, of course."

Comedian Ulises Toirac also welcomed the news with a touch of irony: "What’s amusing is that 'the revolution prepared her so well'," referring to how the regime's persecution molded Calzadilla into an opposition figure.

Calzadilla spent 32 years in Cuba before leaving in November 2023 with her husband and three children, following years of harassment by the State Security.

Con Filo and Its Controversial Role

Launched on August 11, 2021, a month after the significant 11J protests, Con Filo serves as a media tool for the regime to attack and discredit dissidents and opponents.

Michel Torres has been at the center of multiple controversies in 2026: in March, he called the Morón protestors "beasts" for demonstrating against blackouts, and in April, he published a critique of Sandro Castro that was censored by the show itself.

Calzadilla had foreseen such dynamics when announcing her party: "The ignorance of the fool keeps him from seeing beyond his nose, and as in 2022, they once again launch a campaign to dress me in a suit I never imagined wearing. And once more, I thank them."