Cuba, the revolution that devours its children

By: Hugo Marcelo Balderrama - 26/01/2026

Guest columnist.
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For decades, the Castro dictatorship promoted its system to the world with three "star" products: a) health, b) education, and c) defense. However, for example, in his book, From Words to Deeds: The Legend of Healthcare in Cuba, Antonio Guedes Sánchez explains:

To conceal existing public health problems, the Cuban government resorts to manipulating statistics, just as totalitarian systems do, and practices its own brand of "information"—incomplete, biased, and outright disinformation—across all sectors. Its iron grip, especially on the media, makes it impossible to verify the data collected or facts reported by official sources: there are no other independent sources to consult to challenge this narrative.

Nothing new, since totalitarian regimes usually equate truth with the word of the tyrant in chief.

Education, another of the "achievements" that the left often attributes to Castroism, is, in reality, a process of indoctrination. The education system does not seek to form citizens with critical thinking skills, but rather obedient subjects of the party. Nor is it free; it comes at the highest price: freedom.

On January 3, 2026, Delta Force delivered the final blow to the Cuban house of cards. Operation Absolute Resolve culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro. It took just eight minutes to neutralize the Cuban bodyguards, seize control of the bunker, and capture the Venezuelan dictator. By 2:10 a.m., U.S. forces had Maduro aboard a helicopter; his fate was sealed.

Obviously, to cover up its shame, the Cuban dictatorship has once again resorted to one of its classic authoritarian strategies: fear. Declaring a state of emergency on the island served to dust off the old doctrine of "Defense of the Entire People," a trap to militarize the streets, suppress what little dissent remains, and subject the citizenry to even greater hardships.

It is striking that the champions of human rights remain silent on the Defense of the Entire People, since it is a flagrant violation of one of the pillars of International Humanitarian Law, let's see:

The main objective of international humanitarian law (IHL) is to preserve a degree of humanity during armed conflicts, thereby saving lives and alleviating suffering, and making it possible to rebuild coexistence once the war ends. IHL protects people who do not participate in hostilities, such as civilians, humanitarian personnel, and journalists. These individuals have the right to have their lives, physical integrity, and moral integrity respected.

But let's return to the central theme of the article: in the event of a military intervention, is Cuba capable of confronting the United States militarily?

The answer is simple: no. The Cuban army has obsolete weaponry, precarious logistics, and soldiers on the verge of malnutrition. Furthermore, the civilian population is more concerned with survival than with taking up arms. Therefore, turning emaciated citizens into combatants, aside from being cruel, serves only to use them as human shields, a window of opportunity for the dictatorial leadership to take refuge or flee the island.

In conclusion, Cuba is a revolution that is devouring its own children.

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».