By Luciano Vasapollo on November 9, 2026 from Rome
There are moments in a country’s history when the stature of a political leader is measured not by the strength of the institutions he represents, but by his ability to fully share in the suffering, the hardships, and the hopes of his people. Miguel Díaz-Canel is going through one of those moments. And he is doing so with a determination that commands respect, even beyond political affiliations and differing assessments of the Cuban government’s decisions.
His generosity does not consist merely in calling on the people to persevere. It consists, above all, in not shirking the responsibility of leading the country through a dramatic period, without hiding the difficulties and without compromising national dignity. It is the conduct of a president who does not view the people as an audience to be mobilized, but as the very reason for his political responsibility.
Cuba continues to face economic, commercial, and financial pressure that has direct consequences on the daily lives of families. Energy shortages, the scarcity of essential goods, and obstacles to development cannot be separated from the long history of the U.S. blockade and the policies of economic strangulation that Washington continues to enforce.
In this context, Díaz-Canel’s decision to speak directly to Cubans, share their concerns, and call for participation and solidarity takes on a special political and human significance.
The greatness of a leader is also measured by his ability to listen
There is a particularly significant passage in the remarks made by Díaz-Canel during the fourth episode of “Criterio Compartido,” the radio program through which the Cuban president has chosen to engage directly with citizens, listening to phone calls, complaints, questions, and requests for help.
“We have a duty to listen to them with humility and respond with actions, not rhetoric.” It is a phrase that encapsulates an entire conception of politics: not power as distance, not government as the exercise of authority, but the responsibility to stand by the people, especially when daily life becomes more difficult.
And he added, speaking of the relationship between leaders and citizens: “I don’t much like it when people talk about ‘the population,’ because ‘the population’ is all of us—we all live in Cuba, we are all part of the Cuban people, some with one responsibility and others with another.” This is not merely a linguistic choice. It is a rejection of separating those who govern from those who are governed, of constructing a human hierarchy between institutions and society.
Naturally, this approach also entails an obligation: to acknowledge mistakes, correct inefficiencies, and address legitimate grievances. The president himself has spoken openly about the difficulties in water supply, the obsolete infrastructure, the investments that were not made, and institutional responsibilities. He has acknowledged that the problem is serious and complex, without pretending that a speech alone can solve it.
This candor is important. The U.S. blockade and the energy stranglehold greatly exacerbate the situation, but the political response must also consist of the ability to improve what depends on Cuban institutions. The Revolution, if it wishes to remain an experience of emancipation, must keep alive its critical and participatory relationship with its own people.
The defense of the homeland is not a threat: it is the right not to be attacked
Another fundamental element of recent statements concerns the “Moncada 2026” strategic exercise, which concluded on November 6, and National Defense Day.
Díaz-Canel personally participated in the preparatory activities of the territorial structures, met with those in charge of provincial defense in Havana, and visited the capital’s Military Region.
The message to citizens was unequivocal: “We continue to enhance the readiness and cohesion of the leadership and command bodies, the troops, the territorial defense system, and the economy to confront any aggression against our homeland.”
This statement must be read in the context of growing U.S. pressure and threats directed against the island. Cuba does not seek war nor does it have any interest in a military confrontation. But no country can be forced to renounce its sovereignty to avert threats from a larger power.
From this perspective, defensive preparedness is not merely a military matter. Díaz-Canel has emphasized the need for defense zones to also be capable of contributing to the economic and social life of communities, gaining the autonomy to resolve everyday problems.
This is an important concept: the defense of the homeland cannot be separated from the defense of people’s lives, work, health, education, and dignity.
Cuba is not alone: international solidarity is a political responsibility
The Cuban issue does not concern only Cubans. It concerns all those who believe in the right of peoples to autonomously choose their own political, economic, and social systems.
The blockade is not an abstract term. It means hindering access to fuel, technology, medicines, machinery, and financial resources. It means making it more costly and difficult to meet basic needs. It means indirectly harming families, workers, the elderly, children, and the most vulnerable people.
The energy and water crises demonstrate the extent to which this pressure can affect people’s daily lives. But it would be a mistake to consider it inevitable that we must abandon the principles of social justice that have characterized the history of the Cuban Revolution.
For this reason, solidarity with Cuba must be concrete: humanitarian initiatives, health cooperation, support for scientific research, cultural exchanges, unconditional economic relations, and mobilization against unilateral coercive measures.
As the Communist Network and as an internationalist movement, we consider it essential to strengthen our relationship with Cuba and with the emancipatory struggles of Latin America. Not to turn solidarity into an act of faith, but to defend the principle that no people should be punished for refusing to submit to Washington’s interests.
Díaz-Canel’s generosity lies in his responsibility not to leave his people behind
There is something deeply human about the image of a president who, while the country faces enormous difficulties, chooses to listen to citizens, visit the provinces, participate in preparatory activities, and publicly take responsibility for decisions.
Díaz-Canel’s political generosity—which I also consider a form of personal courage—lies precisely in this decision not to abandon his people in their most difficult hour. This is not about idealizing a leader or denying the real problems facing Cuban society. It is about recognizing the value of a leadership that asserts Cuba’s right to determine its own future and that continually calls for collective participation.
Cuban history has seen extraordinary leaders—from Fidel Castro to Raúl Castro—who have weathered periods of isolation and international pressure without relinquishing national sovereignty. Díaz-Canel now shoulders an enormous responsibility, under particularly difficult circumstances and with a generation of Cubans demanding concrete answers, jobs, energy, efficient services, and prospects for the future.
It is precisely this generation that we must look to. Defending Cuba means defending the right of its young people not to have to choose between staying in their homeland and living a dignified life.
We communists living in Europe would have less conviction and political strength without the heroic example of a great revolutionary leader like Díaz-Canel. And not only—or even primarily—for theoretical reasons or because of the intensity of the battle of ideas, but also because of his ability to keep alive, through the practice of creative revolutionary resistance, a revolutionary, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist beacon that unites not only the Tricontinental, but also all geographical regions and, above all, the political forces of the Global South.
Only in this way can the political example be offered of how Cuba continues to advance its socialist revolutionary process. This demonstrates how it is possible today to offer young people, the not-so-young, workers, marginalized sectors, and all the exploited a way to experience revolutionary politics, so that they can address their challenges not only within their own spheres of action, but also invest in forms of experimentation and engagement with the historical trajectory that Díaz-Canel—together with and through the Cuban Revolution—charts each day in terms of resistance and the proactive construction of socialism.
Internationalist solidarity must not be a rhetorical celebration, but a daily commitment. And it must be accompanied by the ability to recognize contradictions, demand improvements, and support all efforts that enable the population to regain better living conditions.
Because Cuba is not merely an island beloved by millions of people around the world. It is one of the great political issues of our time: the right of peoples not to be brought to their knees.
And Díaz-Canel, by choosing to share the hardships with his people and defend their sovereignty, embodies this spirit of resistance.
Cuba does not ask for pity. It asks for respect, solidarity, and the right to live freely.
Source: Farodi Roma, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – US