Students from the Máximo Gómez Pre-University Vocational Institute in Camagüey sign a political declaration from the Cuban regime in support of Venezuela. Photo: Roberto Conde Silverio/Facebook.

In late September, children and teenagers in Cuban schools were asked to sign a political declaration in support of the Venezuelan government and its president. Many didn't understand what it was about, but they were still pressured to sign.

The situation is especially serious for young children, who are not old enough to understand events that have occurred in another country. Furthermore, teenagers were threatened: if they did not sign, they could be labeled counterrevolutionaries, a label that in Cuba is not merely a nickname, but a stigma that carries with it discrimination, loss of the right to education, and even political persecution or imprisonment.

All of this reveals the state's use of schools—which should be spaces for learning and development—as instruments of propaganda. Instead of guaranteeing good teachers, materials, and suitable learning conditions, resources are allocated to coerce students into supporting political causes they neither understand nor are responsible for.

Why is this a violation of rights?

From an early age, children are forced to become part of a state political narrative, contrary to what human rights standards establish.

• The best interests of the child: this means that in any decision affecting them, what is best for their well-being must prevail. For example, if a family has to move, they should first consider how it will affect their children's schooling or health. The Cuban state, instead of protecting minors, exposes them to pressure and threats.

• Right to express their opinion: International treaties state that children and adolescents have the right to express their opinions and that these opinions must be taken into account according to their age and maturity. Forcing them to sign a document they do not understand is denying them this right.

• The right to education means learning in a safe environment, with qualified teachers, and free from political pressure. When the state replaces quality education with indoctrination, it is violating this right.

Image taken from the Facebook profile of journalist José Raúl Gallego

What are the consequences?

The pressure exerted on adolescents to sign, under threat of being punished or expelled, constitutes a form of psychological violence that affects their confidence, their freedom of thought and their right to develop as free people.

Furthermore, they are being forced to take sides on an issue that is not related to Cuba, but to Venezuela, which shows that the objective is not education, but indoctrination and political manipulation.

In summary, girls, boys and adolescents in Cuba are used as instruments of propaganda: the State puts its political interests above their fundamental rights.