Cuba: how the new official control mechanism opposes the advance of social networks

Strict communication control is nothing new in Cuba. Censorship either. Carmen Daysi Rodriguez he was one of the most popular faces on Cuban television in the mid-1990s. With great sympathy, he directed the children’s program “Dando Vueltas” and took part in the show. Do you swear to tell the truth? She knew very well what were the limits that she could not cross. “There are always forbidden words that cannot be said. At the time, they were green beard horse… “, lists TN.com.ar the Havana-born, Miami-based actress for over 20 years.

These words, at first glance, seemed to have no particular meaning that would then endanger the Cuban Revolution. However, for the censors, the color “greenCould be interpreted as an allusion to the American dollar, whereas its free circulation had already been legalized on the island in 1993.

And the rest “” The Beard” and the Horse“? Fidel Castro, especially when unfavorable opinions were launched against the sovereign. And the television couldn’t make those kinds of hints.

But there were more forbidden words. Bike it was one of them. The reason? Cubans traveled everywhere on two wheels as there was almost no public transport in the face of the fuel shortages that followed the collapse of the USSR. And its mere mention could put viewers in a bad mood.

Other? balsa. Every day, dozens of “rafters” jumped into the sea in precarious boats to reach Florida. That word couldn’t be on anyone’s lips.

“We had security in the studio and the scripts were completely revised», Remembers the actress.

New technologies, new controls

But things have changed and it is no longer so easy to control information with new technologies and the emergence of social networks. The July 11 protests made it clear that Facebook, WhatsApp and simple text messages can bypass any official control, unless all of cyberspace is silenced, as has happened.

For this reason, the authorities have devised a new way to restrict the flow of information on the networks and to fight, according to what they say, “fake news“In short, what is the lexicon of the Cuban Revolution called”enemy propaganda”.

Thus was born the Decree-Law 35, which includes a series of regulations that characterize for the first time what they consider cybercrimes liable to criminal prosecution.

In this context, they consider as “cybersecurity incidents” a wide range of situations subject to official interpretation, ranging from computer attacks to the possibility of using social networks to call for demonstrations or to demand or incite a change of system.

“Our decree-law 35 goes against disinformation and cyber liesPresident Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on Twitter.

The new standard considers “social subversion” as “very high” dangerousness, defined as “attempting to alter public order and promote social indiscipline”, cyberterrorism understood as actions aimed at “subverting the constitutional order. “or” cyber warfare “. the United States.

But there was something else: the creation of Institute of Information and Social Communication whose mission will be to lead and control official policy in this area, replacing the historic Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT).

“They are trying to protect themselves”

The playwright Yunior Garcia Aguilera, one of the Cuban intellectuals arrested during the July 11 protests in Havana, said TN.com.ar that with these measures, the authorities “try to protect themselves”.

“The government is trying to protect itself against a space they have lost. Until now they have used the argument that they have the majority of the people, but the emergence of networks has shown that this is not the case. This space that opened up from freedom of speech it served to dismantle the myth of the unanimity of the leadership of the Communist Party, ”he said.

And he added: “They tried to create anonymous profiles on the networks with the mission of generating content favorable to the regime and attacking dissenting voices. And faced with the broad response from real users to promote a need for change, the government saw no other way out than to protect itself completely ”.

For García Aguilera, “this package of measures aims to defend what they call the Revolution, which has become a conservative power absolutely incapable of sharing with anyone who deviates a kilometer from official thought”.

A new step?

The Cuban playwright, founder of Trebol Teatro, has just created a Facebook page called “Archipelago“Which already has more than 17,000 members and seeks to spark debate on the situation on the island.

Among the discussions generated is that of promoting a plebiscite on “continuity or change“Or call for a new protest like the one that rocked the island on July 11.

“The idea is to call for a new peaceful march, by requesting the corresponding authorization from the authorities through official channels. We don’t think they’ll give us permission, but it’s a constitutional right, ”he explained.

However, they will wait for a more favorable time to move it forward. “We think this is not the time to call it because of the pandemic, but when the conditions are right, we will promote this new march,” he said.

García Aguilera had fostered an unprecedented dialogue with Cuban musician Silvio Rodríguez, whom he met in Havana after the protests to seek a way of understanding between artists and intellectuals on the island.

But the dialogue did not succeed. “I no longer had contact with him. Must be under a lot of pressure. I don’t want to hurt her. I hope he will get back in touch, ”he said.

“They are afraid”

From Miami, Carmen Daysi Rodriguez He thinks the authorities are afraid of new technologies and what they can do to Cubans. “They are scared to death. They are terrified of the reach of the internet and networks. They don’t want another demonstration in the country, ”he said.

And he concluded: “Because they know it would be irreversible. So, as they are repressors, are imposed by fear and punishment. They know that they have very little left, that there is no political figure in Cuba and that young people have lost the fear of saying what they think and claiming the full right to freedom ” .