Armando Chaguaceda: "Cuban Protests Reach Unprecedented Levels in Half a Century"

Renowned Cuban political scientist and historian Armando Chaguaceda recently published a thought-provoking column on the Center for Convivencia Studies website, highlighting the unprecedented intensity of protests in Cuba over the last fifty years. "Today in Cuba, people are protesting every day and night like never before in the past half-century. This isn't thanks to any law or institution within the system, all of which are designed to disguise or suppress dissent. People are protesting despite these obstacles," he states.

In his piece titled "The Power of Authenticity vs. Political Fictions," Chaguaceda's commentary comes at a time of heightened tension. On the night of Friday, July 24th, just before the significant date of July 26th, a nationwide call to protest through noise-making saw unusual scenes of illumination and simultaneous protests in Lawton, San Agustín, La Coronela, La Lisa, Santiago de Cuba, and Cienfuegos.

The Regime's Failed Attempts to Suppress Protests

The government made attempts to undermine the protest by restoring electricity across entire neighborhoods in Havana that had been in the dark for weeks, precisely at the time designated for the noise-making protest. However, the plan backfired. The power supply was short-lived, and demonstrations erupted regardless, with residents in Lawton's Dolores Park using pots and extinguishers to amplify their clamor.

The day before, the power generation deficit hit 2,315 MW, nearly breaking the record of 2,341 MW set on July 8th, when over 70% of the population simultaneously lost electricity. In tandem, numerous police and MININT officers were deployed in El Diezmero, San Miguel del Padrón, confronting residents blocking the road with branches and debris.

Chaguaceda's Critique of Inaction and Illusions

Chaguaceda's article is critical of three main groups. First, he addresses Cubans who, after fleeing the country citing persecution, disengage from any denunciation actions: "What is inexcusable is the complacency of those Cubans who fled the system, were welcomed in other countries claiming persecution, but then 'disconnect' from any systematic action of protest, organization, or aid once they are on safe soil." He considers this phenomenon understandable— a legacy of totalitarianism— but not justifiable.

The second critique targets certain political leaders, journalists, and influencers in exile who remain in "self-absorbed and fanciful comfort zones during press conferences or Facebook broadcasts" rather than organizing the diaspora. He points out that rhetoric from "the banks of the Potomac and the window of Versalles" becomes "repetitive and inconsequential."

His third criticism is directed internally within the island, challenging those who advocate for the "illusion of a negotiated, feasible, and agreed transition" without making their agenda or actual strength transparent. For Chaguaceda, "all these political fictions, whether conscious or unconscious, only feed the regime's propaganda and people's distrust in politics."

The Resilience of Authentic Resistance

In contrast to these illusions, Chaguaceda champions everyday resistance: "People only learn the art of freedom by exercising it. In the daily resistance of beating a pot, a communal kitchen, in filing a habeas corpus." It's in these imperfect forms, he argues, that "the contagious power of authenticity emerges, a power despotic regimes fear greatly."

Data supports his analysis. The Cuban Conflict Observatory reported 107 street protests in June 2026, almost double the previous record, with 82 occurring in Havana and 18 in Santiago de Cuba. Cubalex recorded 319 repressive events and 253 demonstrations during that same month. Its director, Laritza Diversent, was blunt: "The militarization is not aimed at an external enemy but at the Cuban population itself."

Chaguaceda concludes his essay with a personal reflection that encapsulates the tone of his text: "For those of us who did not, at the time, have the awareness, courage, or desperation now demonstrated by our compatriots—whatever their reasons—can only look on with respect at their efforts. We must do whatever little we can from our bubbles of privilege to help end this oppressive regime."