Argentinian content creator Luli Ofman has used satire to highlight the irony of those who support the Cuban regime while enjoying the comforts of a capitalist democracy.
Ofman, part of the "Argentina Polenta" segment on TN (Todo Noticias), posted a video titled "Cuba Libre" on Instagram, amassing over 277,000 views and 54,000 likes within hours.
The two-minute, nine-second video is divided into two contrasting parts. Initially, Ofman plays a leftist activist who praises Cuban communism while sipping a Starbucks coffee, blaming the island's woes on the "blockade" and suggesting that life without 20 hours of electricity daily is a way to detach from capitalism.
When questioned about why she doesn't move to Cuba herself, her character responds evasively. In the latter half, Ofman drops the parody to deliver a stark reality check: more than 20 hours without power, surviving on a single loaf of bread per day, a salary's worth of chicken, water shortages, separated families, and fear of repression.
"Surviving is the greatest act of resistance and rebellion. This is the dream come true of the trostkyist paradise," Ofman states before delivering the video's central message.
"It's easy to advocate for communism from a free country. The challenge is being free in a communist country," she asserts.
Ofman targets what she calls "keyboard intellectuals" who claim to understand Cuban life better than the Cubans themselves: "These keyboard intellectuals want to lecture Cubans on their own living conditions, just like they do with Venezuelans. They have selective blindness towards dictatorships—they either don't see them or choose not to."
She also dismantles the argument that Cuba's poverty is due to external factors: "It's not a poor country, it's been impoverished. The elites feast on lobster while the people have nothing because they can't fish." She adds that "the leaders' children live like royalty in Europe while the people lack even basic utilities."
The video comes as Cuba faces one of its worst power crises in decades, with generation deficits exceeding 1,981 MW during peak demand. The regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel consistently blames these issues on the U.S. embargo, a narrative many Cubans have rejected.
The contradiction Ofman points out is not new. Earlier this year, a Cuban woman residing in Tenerife went viral for defending the regime from Europe, highlighting the disconnect between rhetoric and the island's harsh reality.
Ofman, a Political Science student at the University of Buenos Aires, concludes the video with a warning resonant in today's Latin American political climate: "Communism only benefits those in control."
She ends with a statement summarizing 67 years of dictatorship in Cuba: "A revolution that gave chains disguised as freedom. But the time for liberation has come because every dictator faces their end. Homeland, life, and freedom. Free Cuba."
Key Insights on Cuban Communism Criticism
What is Luli Ofman's main criticism of Cuban communism?
Luli Ofman criticizes the hypocrisy of supporting Cuban communism from the comfort of a capitalist democracy, highlighting the harsh realities faced by ordinary Cubans.
How does Ofman illustrate the contradiction in supporting Cuban communism?
Ofman uses satire to portray a character who supports Cuban communism while enjoying capitalist comforts, followed by a direct address detailing the severe living conditions in Cuba.
What are some of the difficulties faced by Cubans according to Ofman?
According to Ofman, Cubans deal with over 20 hours without electricity, scarce food resources, water shortages, separated families, and fear of government repression.