From the San Isidro Movement to "Patria y Vida": Who will Control the Cuban Digital Revolution?

Abstract

Today in Cuba there is a struggle over the meaning, scope, and direction of the digital revolution? Who will control it? Who will benefit from it? To what ends will it be applied? This article analyzes the various, sometimes contradictory ways that Cubans are using new media technologies to transform society from within. Through an analysis of the role of digital media in protests like the San Isidro Movement (MSI), the events of November 27, 2020 (27N) and January 27, 2021 (27E), and the phenomenon of the viral music video “Patria y Vida” at the end of February 2021, I postulate that it is these internal changes and the use of technology by local actors that are driving the impact of digital technology on Cuban society much more than the policies of foreign states. Additionally, the article places Cuba within five larger global debates about the relationship between digital technology and politics.