The Institutionalized and Coerced "Marches" of Communist Cuba

A Tool of the Regime Deployed Against America

Since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the Communist Party has suffocated individual liberty, enforcing control over every aspect of daily life through fear and coercion. While the regime has long masked repression with displays of supposed popular support, the reality is far different. The recent marches in Cuba, organized to protest U.S. policies, are yet another example of this deception.

Cuba is borrowing from a centuries-old political playbook. Public displays of loyalty to rulers, such as parades or processions, were often compulsory in ancient empires like Persia, Rome, and China. Refusal to participate could result in punishment, loss of status, or worse. In more recent times, Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution used public displays of support for the Communist Party very effectively. Participating in denunciation rallies was often coerced. Refusal could lead to social ostracism, loss of livelihood, or imprisonment.

Right below is an image of an X post from Cuba’s chief diplomat in Washington, DC, Dr. Lianys Torres Rivera, who is circulating a propaganda film by a filmmaker outfit that bills itself “Belly of the Beast Cuba” - an entity that receives money from the U.S. government including the National Endowment for the Humanities (why would America be funding an outfit that appears to be lobbying against U.S. policy and urging changes to our laws and regulations?):

Far from voluntary, these events are orchestrated by the regime, forcing citizens to participate under threat of punishment. It has been a mainstay of the system since the 1960s. You may be asking, Jason, why should I care about this? And you are right. What happens in Cuba is for the Cuban people to decide, but in most cases, the Cuban people are not free. What happens 90 miles away from America’s shores affects us here, and the consequences of Cuba’s continued oppression reverberate throughout the hemisphere.

Cuban diplomats in Washington, D.C., proudly point to the marches as evidence of widespread support for the regime, but that only tells part of the story. Recent conversations with Cuban exiles in South Florida and colleagues on the island, such as independent lawyers, reveal that participation in these marches is mandatory for many who show up. Participants are forced to sign documents pledging to attend, often under the threat of withheld wages or worse. There is an elaborate Party demerits system; if asked to attend and fail, it is counted against you. There were also people being bussed from other parts of Cuba.