Cuba paints itself as a people’s revolution…  a true democracy, but the language is different from the reality. 

Luis Gonzalez | October 24, 2026

His name was Diosbel Véliz Marín. Diosbel made a living driving a bicycle taxi through the streets of Havana. A longtime opposition activist who had endured detentions, fines, and police restrictions for his political activities, he was reported stabbed to death this past August 26. The circumstances remain unresolved, and his killing has not been conclusively linked to the Cuban government.

Those of us who know the history of the Cuban "revolution" and the promises made in its name know what happens when a government claims to speak for the people while denying them the freedom to choose their rulers. That is why Diosbel’s name matters here. While American politicians argue over socialism and democracy, a Cuban dissident who spent years challenging a one-party regime is dead. His story deserves to be heard, his death deserves a credible investigation, and his name deserves to be remembered.

The American left works hard at redefining socialism as democracy. Cuba paints itself as a people’s revolution…  a true democracy, but the language is different from the reality. I have heard the promises before, and I know why we should never accept them without looking at what lies behind them.

Consider Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic socialist who has been making his case to American voters. In his exchanges with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, he has demonstrated a familiar political maneuver: take a word with an established meaning, redefine it to suit your argument, and then accuse anyone who rejects your definition of misunderstanding the issue. Socialism becomes democracy because it is presented as government acting for ordinary people. Government spending becomes proof of compassion. Public control becomes a remedy........

© American Thinker