Cuba: Student Protests and Social Crisis
By Javier Herrera
HAVANA TIMES – Since early June 2025, Cuban university students have launched an unprecedented protest against the mobile internet rate hike imposed by the state-owned company ETECSA, which monopolizes telecommunications on the island.
The measure, which partially dollarizes the service and raises prices to levels unaffordable for most people, has been described by young people as a rate hike that severely affects social justice, limits the right to communication, and deepens social divides.
The increase sets a basic package of 6 GB for 360 Cuban pesos (approximately 1 USD on the informal market), while additional top-ups can cost up to ten times more—equivalent to the average monthly salary of around 3,600 Cuban pesos (about 10 USD).
This situation has sparked outrage among students from faculties such as Mathematics and Computer Science, Engineering, Biology, Law, and Audiovisual Media, among others, who have organized walkouts and strikes in at least five universities across the country.
The Federation of University Students (FEU), traditionally aligned with the government, has seen part of its membership rebel and become the driving force behind the protest, demanding direct dialogue with the Council of Ministers and real participation in the search for solutions.
Students denounce that the rate hike not only restricts access to essential resources for their education and work but also jeopardizes key processes such as the country’s digitalization and modernization.
The government, for its part, has defended the measure by arguing that the telecommunications system faces an “imminent collapse” and that the adjustment is necessary to avoid a breakdown. However, the official response has failed to calm student discontent, which points to lack of investment, corruption, and the absence of alternatives that ensure fair and affordable internet access.
In addition to the strikes, Law students at the University of Holguín have filed an unprecedented lawsuit against ETECSA for breach of contract and violation of constitutional rights—marking a new level of legal and political confrontation.
Professors and observers note the charged atmosphere in classrooms, with exam absences and a mood of protest reminiscent of the popular mobilizations of 2021—but this time led by a sector historically tied to the system.
The university students, worthy heirs of Julio Antonio Mella, Jose Antonio Echeverría, and Jose Luis Boitel, have not been swayed by official rhetoric, nor have they sold out their positions for the crumbs offered in the form of an additional 6-gigabyte data package for another 360 pesos, exclusively for students.
The government’s incoherent and opaque response has only served to further radicalize the students’ stance. Beyond protesting the rate hike, they are now voicing and channeling the broader social discontent affecting the nation—emphasizing prolonged blackouts of up to 20 hours, lack of decent food, transport, and medicine.
The students, who are threatening a strike and partially carrying it out—evidenced by low attendance at educational centers—are also demanding the immediate resignation of the leadership of the Federation of University Students, an organization aligned with the regime, due to its lack of representation and voice. Rather than support, guide, or channel student discontent, it has issued pro-regime statements and denied the existence of a real mass protest.
Simultaneously, they are calling for the resignation of Sergio Peña Martínez, Dean of the Higher Institute of Industrial Design, for the disrespectful way he addressed students during a discussion and debate held at the institution.
In contrast to the stance of many academic bodies, some professors and intellectuals have joined the students’ demands and even asked to resign from their university positions, such as Alicia Maria Lopez, a professor at the University of Matanzas, who denounced the institution for silencing its students.
For now, the standoff continues. While the regime tries to discredit the protest by claiming it is externally provoked, an age worn tactic, the students are making it clear that the movement stems from their own awareness and commitment to the nation.
These young people rising up today are the voice of the people, and both they and the regime know it. They may represent the last resort for confronting the rampant deterioration of Cuban society and giving shape to the nation’s longing for freedom and prosperity.
Time is passing, and positions are becoming more entrenched. Wasting time is a luxury the government cannot afford, and the nation no longer accepts. Let us hope that government officials reconsider their stance, listen to the students, and agree to engage in horizontal dialogue—without impositions or threats. It is time to talk. The people are watching and ready to support their children. This time, repression won’t be as easy as it was on July 11, 2021.