Randy Alonso Sparks Social Media Frenzy with Controversial Remarks

A brief 14-second video featuring Randy Alonso, the head of Cuba's Mesa Redonda television program and the pro-government site Cubadebate, has triggered a storm of mockery on social media. The clip, in which Alonso poses a question that many Cubans felt was an obvious realization, seemingly arrived at after 67 years, has gone viral.

The video, shared by the Buenos Días News Magazine on Facebook, has amassed over 314,000 views and 1,876 comments. In it, Alonso asks, "What's the point of having a potentially great sugar mill or a good industry if it's owned by the state but remains idle, unable to produce? Is it better to keep it shut down, or should someone come, invest, and generate production and results?"

The audience's response was swift and biting.

"Lenin, Marx, and Engels, come and see your disciples, but take them with you," quipped one user, whose remark became the most celebrated comment on the video.

Others joined in the ridicule: "Look at that, such a deep analysis from Randy," one netizen sarcastically noted. "What a smart chameleon, drawing such conclusions," added another. "So, investors are no longer worms?" questioned a third, alluding to the derogatory language the regime used for decades against private enterprise supporters.

The metaphor of "discovering lukewarm water" appeared frequently in comments: "He discovered cold water in 2026 after 67 years of study," wrote one. "Wow, they discovered cold water," echoed another. "Eureka, discovering lukewarm water," chimed in a third.

Several users directly pointed out the journalist's historical contradiction: "That's called capitalism, Randy, as simple as that," one remarked. "The longest path to capitalism is socialism," another summarized with surgical precision. A commentator referenced Margaret Thatcher: "The greatest enemy of socialism is not capitalism; it's reality."

There was sharp indignation as well: "In 15 seconds, the failure of socialism is explained," one user stated. "You need a face of reinforced concrete to say that as cool as a cucumber," another scolded. "What's the point of having an aging, tired, worn-out population while you remain fresh as a cucumber?" a user challenged.

Many recalled the so-called 'Álvaro Reinoso Task,' a decision pushed by Fidel Castro in 2002 that dismantled 120 of Cuba's 165 sugar mills, which economist Pedro Monreal described as "the greatest industrial policy blunder in Cuba's history."

"Does the 'Álvaro Reinoso Task' ring a bell from 2002? Did it take you 24 years to realize this? You have no shame," one commenter wrote. Another pointed out, "They preferred to close most sugar mills rather than offer them to Cuban or foreign private investors. Twenty-something years later, they discover it's better to allow private management."

The video was released amid 176 economic reform measures approved by the Cuban regime on June 19, which include opening up to foreign investment, permitting private banking, and allowing the buying and selling of state-owned company shares. These reforms come as the country faces a crisis, with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean predicting a 6.5% GDP contraction in 2026.

Alonso's image as the system's "chameleon" was a recurring theme in the comments section: "If the musicians change but the conductor remains the same, the orchestra will sound the same, remember that," one commenter warned. "What has more damage, the boiler at the Guiteras or Randy's face?" another asked with dark humor. "Deep as his potholes," concluded a user succinctly.

One comment encapsulated the general sentiment with bitter clarity: "When I studied, they told me capitalism was incompatible with socialism, and now they want capitalism to save what's left of socialism, which means, to save themselves, those in power."