Comedian and actor Ulises Toirac unleashed a satirical open letter this Wednesday targeting ETECSA, the state-run telecommunications monopoly, demanding that they reinvest their massive profits from the 2025 price hike or, alternatively, allow Starlink to enter the Cuban market.
In the letter shared on his Facebook profile, ironically dated as the "Year of the Decisive Destabilization," Toirac directs his criticism at the funds sent by the Cuban diaspora to support their families on the island: "You're fueling public frustration, think about it: If you operated properly, reinvesting all the cash that Cubans living abroad have sent to maintain the accounts of the bedridden (meaning us)... all that money you've pocketed after the price hike."
Toirac draws a comparison with the Electric Union (UNE), which, after admitting its inability to ensure reliable electricity supply, lifted the ban on importing photovoltaic solar panels.
Call for Change
"Surrender, like the UNE, which said: 'I can't, I'm not capable of providing power, do it yourselves,' and lifted the ban on photovoltaic plants that WERE FORBIDDEN (remember they couldn't be imported and it wasn't because of the embargo)... Let people buy their Starlink and rid yourself of that burden," Toirac writes.
The proposal carries an evident political undertone: if ETECSA can't deliver quality service, it should step aside for private alternatives, just as UNE did with solar energy.
Demanding Transparency
Toirac also challenges the company for not even maintaining benefits for its own employees: "You don't even provide decent regular phone service!" He concludes with a direct call for the much-needed investments: "Come on, loosen up the cash! You don't have to pull it from another company like others do... because you have it! Install generators at the towers, increase real capacities. Invest, because you can't just demand payment at gunpoint!"
The criticism is backed by figures. In the first 46 days following the May 2025 price hike, ETECSA amassed over $24.8 million—about $540,000 daily, according to Prime Minister Manuel Marrero. Yet, service quality did not improve: In May 2026, Cuba recorded a mere 7.21 Mbps on the Speedtest global speed index, among the lowest in the region.
Infrastructure Concerns
The infrastructure struggles with power outages as well. The mobile network shuts down because the backup batteries at the towers last only a few hours during blackouts. After the total blackout in March 2026, internet traffic dropped by 65% and took 29 hours to restore.
Starlink remains banned in Cuba, deemed illegal by the regime without authorization from the Ministry of Communications. Cuban customs confiscated Starlink equipment at the airport last June. New regulations in 2026 further reinforced this prohibition.
The post includes a photo that captures the irony: a dilapidated Havana building with peeling paint and a clothesline, prominently featuring a Starlink antenna on the balcony next to a handmade sign reading "Room for Rent."
Toirac is no stranger to critiquing ETECSA. In July, he demanded explanations on the use of the collected funds, and in June, he publicly questioned where the price hike money went. So far, the state enterprise has not responded to any of these queries.
Examining ETECSA's Financial Decisions
What is Ulises Toirac's main criticism of ETECSA?
Ulises Toirac criticizes ETECSA for not reinvesting its profits from the 2025 price hike into improving service quality and infrastructure, and instead suggests allowing Starlink as a private alternative.
How does Toirac compare ETECSA to the Electric Union (UNE)?
Toirac draws a parallel between ETECSA and UNE, noting that UNE admitted its limitations and allowed private solar energy solutions, implying ETECSA should do the same by permitting Starlink.
Why is Starlink banned in Cuba?
Starlink is banned in Cuba because the regime considers it illegal without prior authorization from the Ministry of Communications, and recent regulations have strengthened this prohibition.