Rubicela Morelos Cruz / Correspondent
La Jornada Newspaper / Monday, August 24, 2026
Tepoztlán, Morelos – “Look. Cuba, above all, is an example of resistance. Cuba is a cry of ‘don’t give up,’ a cry that it is possible to defeat this macabre and malevolent structure that harms the people and rewards greed and selfishness. Resistance, that’s what Cuba is,” said Israel Rojas Fiel, Cuban singer-songwriter and leader of the duo Buena Fe, during an acoustic concert held yesterday in Tepoztlán, where he was accompanied by fellow Cuban singer-songwriter Vicente Alejandro.
The presentation took place at Casa Tecmilco and was organized by this collective, which promotes community self-management and training for social change in Mexico and Latin America. Its purpose is to contribute to the organization and strengthening of local community power through alternative political practices, critical knowledge, and cultural actions aimed at building processes of liberation, justice, and peace.
The organizers indicated that the meeting was intended to express solidarity with the Caribbean nation in the face of the economic blockade it has endured for decades, as well as the current restrictions on oil supplies, which exacerbate the problems of electricity generation and distribution on the island.
Before the presentation began, Rojas Fiel expressed gratitude to the Mexican people and highlighted the solidarity received during their tour, which included 14 presentations in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and concluded the day before yesterday.
He considered that Cuba is experiencing, from his perspective, “a true silent genocide” and questioned the international community for allowing the situation on the island to continue.
He maintained that despite the economic and energy difficulties, the Cuban people “are standing strong; we know what’s at stake.”
The musician commented that the electricity supply problems affect all aspects of daily life, since the outages can last for several hours and, in some cases, up to 48 hours, making it difficult to even preserve food and access medical treatment.
“The US blockade is absolutely abhorrent.”
He attributed a large part of his country’s energy difficulties to the restrictions imposed by the United States and called the blockade “absolutely abhorrent.”
Referring to US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he said: “For those people, all I have is silence and my unwavering conviction that I will not stop fighting so that my people and Latin America are free from them, from that fascism.”
Israel Rojas explained that Cuba is making structural changes and seeking to strengthen its productive capacity, such as developing renewable energy sources. With support from China, progress is being made toward technologies such as solar and wind power.
“We haven’t stopped transforming. There are structural changes that should have happened a long time ago,” he pointed out.
These changes should allow for the creation of national wealth and its subsequent redistribution among the different sectors of society.
During the interview, the musician also spoke about some of the songs in Buena Fe’s repertoire, including “La fuerza de un país” (The Strength of a Country), dedicated to Cuban vaccines against COVID-19, which opened the concert; “Volar sin ti” (Flying Without You), “Catalejo” (Spyglass), “No juegues con mi soledad” (Don’t Play with My Loneliness), “La Tempestad” (The Tempest), and “Pi 3, 14.”
Regarding the latter, he explained that it is a song related to identity and the willingness to respond to those who seek to harm them, while also offering support to those who approach with good intentions.
Organizers Call for Solidarity
The organizers stated that the concert aimed to encourage Mexicans to show solidarity with Cuba and demand an end to the blockade.
They remembered the sociologist and former rector of UNAM, Pablo González Casanova, who spent his final years in Tepoztlán, and quoted one of his sayings: “Everyone chooses their contradictions. A man without contradictions is a mere abstraction.”
They stated that they decided to embrace “their contradictions” on Cuba’s side and called for the island’s defense against what they described as arguments justifying the blockade and a potential intervention.
“Cuba, above all, offers an example of resistance. Cuba is a cry of ‘don’t give up’; a cry that it is possible to defeat this macabre and malevolent structure that harms the people and rewards greed and selfishness. Resistance, that is what Cuba is,” stated Israel Rojas Fiel, Cuban singer-songwriter and leader of the duo Buena Fe.
The statement was made this Sunday during an acoustic concert held at Casa Tecmilco in Tepoztlán, Morelos, where Buena Fe was accompanied by fellow Cuban singer-songwriter Vicente Alejandro Trigo.
The concert, titled “For the Dignity of Cuba: A Day of Solidarity,” was organized by Casa Tecmilco, a collective that promotes community self-management and training for social change in Mexico and Latin America.
According to the organizers, the purpose of the gathering was to express solidarity with Cuba in the face of the economic blockade it has endured for decades, as well as the current restrictions on oil supplies, which, they asserted, have exacerbated the island’s electricity generation and distribution problems.
“We are deeply grateful to the Mexican people.”
Before beginning the performance, Rojas Fiel expressed his gratitude to the Mexican people and highlighted the solidarity received during Buena Fe’s tour of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
The singer-songwriters concluded a 14-show tour in these three countries on Saturday, August 22.
“That’s why we said yes to our friends for this concert in Tepoztlán (an extra concert on their scheduled tour). We are deeply grateful for what the Mexican government, but above all, its people, have been able to do in terms of solidarity during such a difficult time for us,” he stated.
Rojas Fiel stated that Cuba is experiencing, from his perspective, “a true silent genocide” and questioned the international community for, he said, allowing the situation on the island to continue.
“I hope that the little we do can repay, even with a small thank you, the much that Mexicans do out of affection for our country,” he expressed.
“We are still standing”
The leader of Buena Fe maintained that, despite the economic and energy difficulties, the Cuban people “are standing.”
“We are still standing, we are battered, very battered, and there is exhaustion. Of course, there is also a certain uncertainty because you don’t know how long this collective punishment can last; but we are still standing, we know what is at stake,” he affirmed.
According to the musician, the electricity supply problems affect practically every aspect of daily life.
“When there’s no electricity, everything is disrupted: industry shuts down, everyday life is disrupted, entertainment is disrupted, connectivity is disrupted, supplies are lacking. Yes, the situation is very, very serious; treatments are unavailable. Without electricity, it’s very difficult,” he said.
Rojas Fiel asserted that power outages can last for several hours and, in some cases, up to 48 hours, which, he noted, hinders even food preservation and access to medical treatments.
Criticizes US Policy
The singer-songwriter attributed a large part of Cuba’s energy difficulties to the restrictions imposed by the United States and called the blockade “absolutely aberrant.”
When asked about US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rojas Fiel maintained that his response is to uphold “the unwavering conviction” that he will continue fighting for the freedom of Cuba and Latin America.
“For those people (Trump and Rubio), all I have is silence; and my unwavering conviction that I will not stop fighting so that my people and Latin America are free from them, from that fascism,” he expressed.
The singer also maintained that Cuba is undergoing structural changes and seeking to strengthen its productive capacity, as well as develop renewable energy sources.
He affirmed that, with support from China, progress is being made toward technologies such as solar and wind power.
“We have not stopped transforming ourselves. Today, structural changes are taking place in Cuba that should have happened a long time ago,” he noted.
For Rojas Fiel, these changes should allow for the creation of national wealth and its subsequent redistribution among the different sectors of society.
IMAGE CREDIT: The duo Buena Fe gave an acoustic concert at Casa Tecmilco in Tepoztlán, Morelos, in solidarity with the Cuban people. Photo: Rubicela Morelos.
[ SOURCE: www.cubainformacion.tv ]
