"The décima as a plural space: rural song, intimate confession, social manifesto, and laboratory for innovation" was the characterization offered at the conclusion of the 2026 Décima al Filo Contest by a jury comprising writers Randoll Machado Hernández, Domingo Peña González, and Carlos Esquivel Guerra; all three are winners of the Cucalambé Prize, a prestigious competition for this octosyllabic rhyming form organized in Las Tunas.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- The jury’s verdict also acknowledged the diversity of styles, voices, and approaches present in the recent edition. The top prize was shared by authors Irelia Pérez Morales (Cienfuegos) and Elena María Obregón (Camagüey) for their respective works, Nosotros (Us) and Estáticos (Static). The first breaks with the stanza's classical structure to give voice to multiple subjects, resulting in an intriguing collective and philosophical manifesto; meanwhile, the latter denounces inherited mediocrity, demagoguery, and family fractures with raw courage, standing out for its critical and testimonial power.

Additionally, Olivia Casanova Blanco (from Camagüey) received an honorable mention for Salmo de la Orfandad (Psalm of Orphanhood). This décima transforms into a prayer and a song of desolation, distinguished by its emotional intensity and the elevation of an intimate voice to a universal plane.

For her part, Niurkivis A. Vengas León (Sancti Spíritus) won an award in the Identity and Tradition category with Pueblo mío (My People), a work deeply rooted in rural culture. Lisy García Valdés (Villa Clara) won in the erotic category with El tremante corazón (The Trembling Heart), a text that "successfully conveys the tension between pain and transcendence through intense imagery, elevating eroticism to a philosophical and lyrical level."

Meanwhile, Mayrelus Ruíz Torres, from Güines, Havana, won the award for Best Glosa with Así de simple (As simple as that); a piece that draws upon verses by Luis Rogelio Nogueras and expands on them through her own inspiration, demonstrating technical rigor and admirable musicality.

The competition's results were announced during the 21st edition of the Décima al Filo National Event, held in Guáimaro, Camagüey. This year’s gathering honored the 26th anniversary of the group of the same name, as well as writers Desiderio Borroto and Odalys Leyva Rosabal —the latter being the main organizer of this unique event, which echoes the finest voices in the country’s décima poetry scene.