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The "no first lady" of Cuba, Lis Cuesta Peraza, has once again become the center of a storm — this time digital — after posting on X (formerly Twitter) a phrase that aimed to inspire heroism, but ended up unleashing a wave of outrage and massive sarcasm.
There is no hurricane stronger than the will of this people. Oriente once again demonstrated what we are: love, courage, and Revolution, wrote the wife of Miguel Díaz-Canel, accompanying a message from the official account of the Presidency of Cuba.
The publication emerged days after the devastating passage of Hurricane Melissa through eastern Cuba, where thousands of families are facing material losses, epidemics, and endless blackouts. In this context, its message was perceived as a mockery of the suffering of an exhausted country.
When CiberCuba Noticias shared the news on its Facebook page, the reaction was explosive: over 2,400 comments in less than 24 hours, almost all expressing condemnation.
The tone was so overwhelming and uniform that it turned into a collective portrait of how the figure of Cuesta Peraza embodies, for many, the cynicism, hypocrisy, and disconnection of the Cuban power.
"While the people sleep in the mud, she poses with flowers."
The analysis of the reactions revealed a clear pattern: most readers directed their anger not so much at the tweet itself, but at what it symbolizes.
Díaz-Canel's wife —who does not hold an official position but acts as a de facto "first lady"— appears as a privileged figure, unable to empathize with the tragedy of her own people.
Hundreds of comments echoed a common sentiment: willpower does not rebuild houses, cure illnesses, or fill empty stomachs.
“Talk less about will and more about food, medicine, and shelter”, wrote a user, expressing a sentiment widely shared. Another summarized with biting sarcasm: “There's no hurricane stronger than you, who have devastated the entire island for 66 years”.
In many messages, Cuban popular sarcasm turns into political criticism: "She is right; if we have survived you, we can survive any hurricane.”; "The people do have will, but you have no shame.”; "Tight little shoes, heart of stone."
From the muse of "continuity" to a symbol of disconnection
Cuesta Peraza, originally from Holguín, was for years a minor figure in the cultural apparatus, but her media rise since her husband came to power has turned her into a symbol of the frivolity of late Castroism.
In social media, Cubans compare her to figures of luxury and extravagance from the past: “the Imelda Marcos of the Caribbean”, “tropical Marie Antoinette”, “the Machi of brand-name shoes”.
Each of these labels encapsulates the same sentiment: a rejection of a woman who, from her bubble of privilege, seems to embody a complete disconnection of power from everyday life.
Many reproach her for not appearing in the affected areas, despite being from that region. “Where is the Holguin native Lis Cuesta? Why doesn't she put on boots and go help her people?”, users asked.
A reader wrote harshly: “If you have nothing better to offer than empty phrases, it’s better to remain silent, enjoying the opulence that now surrounds you. May God forgive you.”
The hurricane of indignation
The most common comments express a mix of anger, mockery, and disappointment: “The strongest hurricane is not Melissa, it’s the communism that has destroyed Cuba since 1959”; “There is no more devastating wind than her husband”; “That woman lives off the misery of the people, without shame”.
Others mock his style and public role: “Instead of mud, she got covered in Photoshop”; “First lady of travel, not of the people”; “She has time to pose, not to help”.
The absence of voices to defend her is striking. In a universe of thousands of comments, barely a few called for "not giving her fame" or "not wasting time on her". None justified her.
The rejection was total, cross-cutting, and emotionally homogeneous.
A fracture between propaganda and reality
The 'Cuesta-Melissa' case sharply highlights the yawning gap between the official narrative and the Cuban reality.
While the government attempts to capitalize on the tragedy with speeches of resistance and unity, the citizens perceive those words as an insult.
Social media —one of the few arenas where Cubans can express themselves freely— has become the stage for a symbolic rebellion: a space where humor and outrage replace fear.
One of the most shared comments captures this sentiment: “If the will of the people were as strong as you say, you would no longer be in power.”
The communication defeat of the regime
The Presidency's attempt to project optimism ended up being a communicational boomerang. Let Leticia Martínez Hernández take note.
Instead of reinforcing the message of unity, Cuesta Peraza's intervention multiplied the disdain. Every phrase he uttered is now the subject of parody, memes, and mockery that circulate vigorously both inside and outside of Cuba.
Popular humor has made the "not first lady" the favorite target of contemporary Cuban political satire. Beyond the personal figure, the episode reveals a broader phenomenon: the loss of the regime's narrative monopoly.
Propaganda is no longer imposed; it is dismantled in real-time, comment by comment, by a people who speak from exhaustion, poverty, and repressed anger.
"There is no hurricane stronger than the indignation of this people."
If the regime aimed to display cohesion, the result was the opposite: a flood of repudiation that exposes social weariness.
Every comment, from the most sarcastic to the most visceral, echoes the same idea: the so-called "revolution" has lost its moral credibility.
A reader wrote it with words that resonated among thousands: “You live surrounded by luxury while the East weeps. There is no hurricane stronger than your faces, nor greater misfortune than your indifference.”
In real Cuba —the one not shown on Mesa Redonda— the will of the people is no longer measured by slogans, but by the ability to withstand not only natural cyclones, but also the political hurricane that has suffocated them for more than sixty years.
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