Abel Prieto, head of Casa de las Américas and a key ideologue within the Cuban regime, openly acknowledged last Friday that Cuba is facing "the most challenging moment of the Cuban revolution." He stated that "the survival of the Cuban people today is truly a difficult task," as reported by the Mexican newspaper La Jornada.
The remarks were made to students and academics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) during the reissue presentation of the essay Calibán (1971) by the late Roberto Fernández Retamar.
Instead of addressing the internal failures of the dictatorship, Prieto blamed the collapse on the U.S. embargo and what he termed an "energy suffocation project," culminating in a direct insult to Washington: "that cabal of unpresentable pedophiles determined to destroy the Cuban revolution at all costs."
During his speech, the former Minister of Culture presented alarming statistics: the infant mortality rate in Cuba has doubled, rising from 4.4 to 9.9 per 1,000 live births, and the survival rate for children with cancer dropped from 85% to 65%.
"These are statistics, but they are numbers that represent faces of people, families, children, patients," he emphasized.
Prieto also disclosed that 7,000 containers with medical supplies remain stranded across the Caribbean because shipping companies fear U.S. retaliation, 34 international banks have ceased transactions with Cuba, and the tourism sector "is shattered," while public transportation "barely exists."
This is not the first instance of Prieto using the term "pedophiles" to describe the U.S. government. In February, following an executive order from the Trump administration concerning oil, Prieto referred to the U.S. leadership as "corrupt and pedophilic" in statements to teleSUR.
His admissions align with newly released data from the regime: over 70 individuals die from cancer daily in Cuba, and 300 of the 395 medications produced by the national pharmaceutical industry are unavailable, as acknowledged by state media.
What the intellectual neglected to mention is that the Cuban crisis is a direct consequence of 67 years under communist dictatorship: a planned economy that obliterated production, structural dependency on Venezuelan subsidies, and management that has led the country into the deepest economic contraction in its history.
Prieto's recent track record also casts doubt on his credibility as an impartial witness to Cuban suffering. In July, marking the fifth anniversary of the July 11 protests, he dismissed the demonstrations as a "farce of insurrection" orchestrated by "people paid from the North." In May, he labeled Cubans advocating for U.S. intervention as "rabid annexationists" and "unworthy of the Cuban name."
His tour in Mexico, which includes participation in the Zócalo International Book Fair this Saturday, is part of the regime's diplomatic campaign ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly vote on the embargo against Cuba, scheduled for this month. In 2025, Cuba secured 165 votes in favor of the resolution condemning the sanctions, with only seven against and twelve abstentions.
Understanding Cuba's Current Crisis
What did Abel Prieto say about the U.S. government?
Abel Prieto referred to the U.S. government as a "cabal of unpresentable pedophiles" who are determined to destroy the Cuban revolution.
What statistics did Prieto present regarding Cuba's health crisis?
He mentioned that the infant mortality rate has doubled from 4.4 to 9.9 per 1,000 live births, and the survival rate for children with cancer dropped from 85% to 65%.
How did Prieto explain the economic difficulties in Cuba?
Prieto blamed the U.S. embargo and an "energy suffocation project" for the economic collapse, rather than addressing the internal policies of the Cuban government.