US Uses Social Media and Influencers to Stir Unrest in Cuba, Expert Warns

A Latin American studies expert from Mexico’s top university says the United States is actively using social media platforms and digital influencers to destabilize Cuba with young Cubans as the primary target of this influence campaign.

US Digital Pressure on Cuba Grows

Washington is running a quiet but powerful social media campaign against Cuba. That is the view of Raúl Romero, a Latin American affairs specialist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He shared his assessment with a major Russian news agency on June 27, 2026.

“The US uses social media and recruits influencers or community managers to destabilize the situation in Cuba,” Romero stated.

Young Cubans Are the Main Target

He made clear that Cuban youth are at the center of this digital offensive. American media tools and online personalities are pushing content aimed directly at younger generations on the island.

“The idea of an uprising appeals to some people due to the energy crisis, food shortages, and the difficult conditions facing young people,” Romero explained. He added that social media and the broader American media machine are having a growing impact on this demographic.

Economic Squeeze Adds Fuel to Social Tensions

Washington has ramped up both political and economic pressure on Cuba in recent months. In January, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba. He also declared a national emergency citing an alleged Cuban threat to American national security.

That move a sharp escalation in US-Cuba tensions worsened fuel shortages on the island. The effects rippled across electricity generation, transport, food production, healthcare, and education, hitting ordinary Cubans hard.

The combination of economic strain and a targeted digital influence campaign, Romero suggests, creates a volatile mix one that Washington appears intent on exploiting.