One month after Donald Trump announced new restrictive measures against Cuba's economy, dissident activism on the island has polarized on social media. Influencers and alternative media now split between blaming the Cuban government or Trump's policies alongside Marco Rubio. This division has weakened the cohesion seen in past protests.
An opinion piece published in Havana Times, written by Angry GenXer on March 2, 2026, examines how Donald Trump's actions on January 3 and 29 have worsened Cuba's crisis by restricting fuel imports and intervening in Venezuela alongside Marco Rubio. These measures have deepened economic misery, while U.S. spokespeople mention a possible 'friendly takeover' of Cuba, though its meaning remains unclear.
In Cuba, dissident voices from diverse ideologies—from nationalist Christian conservatives to neo-Marxists and anarchists—have criticized the country's collapse on social media. During the Covid-19 pandemic, protests on November 27, 2020, and July 11, 2021, united these groups through shared affections and civic activism. A peak of cohesion came last year with support for a student strike triggered by ETECSA's mobile service pricing changes, fostering consensus in online activism.
However, following Trump's actions, polarization emerged: one side blames the Cuban government, 'communists,' and the military megacorporation GAESA; the other targets Trump, MAGA, Rubio, and 'gringos.' Online fights have centered on issues like a two-hour speech by Díaz-Canel offering no crisis solutions, arrests of Holguín influencers from the El 4tico project for wearing MAGA-inspired caps, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance, and a mysterious shootout between a boat with allegedly U.S.-stolen weapons and Cuban border guards.
The author suggests this 'cognitive warfare' benefits Cuban authorities and Trump, who prioritizes geopolitical interests like oil and markets over human rights, akin to his approaches in Syria, Venezuela, Gaza, and Iran. He warns that Trump empowers those who obey his interests rather than seeking freedom, urging activists to recognize these mechanisms to preserve their mutual bonds.
