In a recent Facebook post, Roilán Rodríguez Barbán, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) for the Plaza de la Revolución municipality, delivered a speech that rivals the incoherence of Miguel Díaz-Canel's musings on "utopia and the horizon."
Following a day of "voluntary work" in the Vedado neighborhood, Rodríguez Barbán addressed a small crowd with grandiose rhetoric, proclaiming through a megaphone, "Impossible is nothing!"
Inspired perhaps by the garbage collection efforts, the Marxism-Leninism and History graduate quoted Antonio Machado to rally the participants. However, the video failed to capture the precise verse from the Andalusian poet, likely "wanderer, there is no path," amidst heaps of trash.
Rodríguez Barbán, also a Master in Economic and Political Culture from the Communist Party's "Ñico López" school, invoked "a great Spaniard named Manuel Alejandro," quoting a fragment from his work.
"I always quote a text by a great Spaniard named Manuel Alejandro, where he says nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible because true men, men of heart... revolutionaries of heart always know that nothing is impossible," he declared, entangling himself in redundancy.
He concluded with, "Nothing is impossible as long as we write. Nothing is as far as we imagine. What lies on Earth can be reached: a love, a dream. Everything we see, everything that exists. And here in Plaza, nothing is impossible and everything can be!"
Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez, known as Manuel Alejandro, is actually a Spanish composer with a prolific output, penning over 700 songs for artists like Raphael and Rocío Jurado. Despite his accolades, he does not hold the noble title "Grande de España."
"Nothing is Impossible" is a song by Spanish singer Miguel Ángel, with lyrics by Manuel Alejandro, released in 1974. Rodríguez Barbán's speech seemed an attempt to ground Díaz-Canel's philosophical musings, which referenced Lenin during a July interview with RT, in reality.
Díaz-Canel's statement, "The utopia is on the horizon. When we take two steps, the utopia recedes two steps. And the horizon advances ten steps. What is the point of utopia? To walk," was widely interpreted as an admission of the government's lack of concrete solutions for Cuba's plight.
The comment sparked ridicule and memes, highlighting the disconnect between the regime and the Cuban populace. Figures like comedian Ulises Toirac and actor Luis Alberto García responded with sarcasm, interpreting the metaphor as a veiled acknowledgment of the regime's ineptitude.
If the PCC's top leader stumbled over the elusive horizon and utopia, his subordinate in Plaza aimed to dispel uncertainty with lyrical proclamations that dreams are within reach. Not on the horizon, but here and now, Cubans can achieve utopias and clean up the trash left by the socialist state, which the doctrine claims belongs to the revolutionaries.
Rodríguez Barbán is no stranger to controversy. In May, he sparked another debate by posting a photo in front of Fidel Castro's tomb with a message against Donald Trump, igniting reactions on social media.
As Cuba grapples with an unprecedented energy, food, and migration crisis in 2026, the Communist Party's response remains unchanged: poorly attended events, grandiloquent rhetoric, and incompetence among its leaders.
Understanding the Political Climate in Cuba
What did Roilán Rodríguez Barbán quote in his speech?
Rodríguez Barbán quoted works by Antonio Machado and Manuel Alejandro, although the exact verses or texts were not clearly captured in the video.
How did Díaz-Canel's comments about utopia and the horizon affect public perception?
Díaz-Canel's comments were widely seen as an admission of the government's inability to address Cuba's challenges, leading to public ridicule and memes that highlighted the regime's disconnect from reality.
What crisis is Cuba facing in 2026?
Cuba is experiencing a significant crisis involving energy, food, and migration, exacerbated by the government's inadequate responses and outdated rhetoric.