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A publication from the official newspaper Escambray on Facebook , recalling the farewell to Fidel Castro in Sancti Spíritus, sparked a flood of criticisms, mockery, and messages of outrage among Cubans both on and off the island.
The media outlet, the organ of the Communist Party in that province, shared images from the funeral procession of 2016, when the ashes of the dictator crossed the territory en route to Santiago de Cuba. The photos show citizens crying, while the text evoked the supposed "emotionality" of that moment.
However, the popular reaction was quite the opposite. Hundreds of users responded with sarcasm and frustration. “That day, he went off to party like Alibaba; now we just need his 40 thieves, who are gradually falling away,” wrote one. Another joked, “I can't wait for them to organize the next caravan with the other one, to see how many people show up.” A third commented, “I remember being told at work: you have to go to the central highway, and if you don’t go, we’re taking away the bonus that was 60 bucks.”
Among the most repeated responses, many recalled the feeling of deception and manipulation from those days. “The day I thought we were going to be free, and it wasn’t that way, they lied to me,” wrote one user. Another added, “They’re still caught up in this nonsense. They should focus on solving the population's problems; it’s embarrassing that a country has no economic solution.” There were also numerous comments like “What a farce, for God’s sake,” “I cried tears of joy,” or “That was the happiest day of my life.”
Others were more harsh: "He's not resting; that demon took his place from the devil," "A few decades earlier, this would have been very good for Cuba," or "That day, Fidel made his greatest contribution to the people: dying." There was also someone who summed up the feelings of many: "I don't know how they still want to revere this monster that sunk Cuba; he never should have been born."
Although some messages defended the memory of the former leader with phrases like "Thank you for everything, Fidel" or "We, the grateful, remember you," they were largely overshadowed by expressions of frustration, anger, and rejection. One of the most widely shared messages said: "The people of Cuba suffer from Stockholm syndrome," while another sarcastically remarked: "What emptiness you left us, Commander; you emptied our warehouses, our pharmacies, everything, sir."
Several users recalled the conditions they faced during the funeral: “We were woken up at four in the morning, standing in the sun, waiting for hours until the car with the ashes passed by,” wrote one. Another reminisced: “That day, music couldn't be played, nor could beer be sold, nothing at all. It felt like a mandatory mourning.” The general sentiment expressed in the comments was that the tribute from the provincial media reopened a wound that many Cubans still associate with repression, misery, and control.
A cult reactivated amid national collapse
The publication of Escambray coincides with a new propaganda offensive by the regime to keep the cult of Fidel Castro alive. Days earlier, the official portal Cubadebate published an article by Marxlenin Pérez Valdés —the partner of the dictator's grandson— calling for people to "turn to the horse, to the genius" of Fidel to solve the country's problems. The text was met with sarcasm: "The horse left a debt that even a goat can't leap over," wrote one reader, while another humorously commented, "It was worth living in Fidel's century… but outside of Cuba."
In parallel, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel stated on the social network X that Fidel "continues to speak from the immortality of his ideas," a statement that sparked disbelief and mockery among citizens who are facing daily blackouts, hunger, and shortages.
The official machinery also turned to children. Images published by educational institutions in Moa and Camagüey showed minors laying flowers and reciting verses in honor of the former leader, as documented in a recent report that denounced the use of minors in political tributes. In the comments, parents and users criticized the indoctrination of children: “What a lack of shame to take those kids to pay tribute to someone who ruined the country,” wrote an outraged internet user.
The legacy of poverty and inequality
Alongside those tributes, recent analyses have noted that Fidel Castro's true legacy was the destruction of the Cuban middle class and the creation of a social structure dependent on the State. The model established by Castroism eliminated economic autonomy and benefited a military and party elite linked to GAESA, while the rest of the country sank into poverty.
A country exhausted by propaganda
While the regime attempts to revive the myth of Fidel amid the chaos, social media reflects a change of era. Phrases like “That day was my second birthday,” “That demon can't die again,” or “Only the brother is missing” capture the loss of respect for a figure that was once untouchable. Other messages encapsulated the collective frustration: “That man sank the country, separated families, and condemned generations. There is nothing to celebrate.”
Escambray implies that, nine years after his death, Fidel Castro's figure is becoming less divisive and increasingly tiresome. The responses to the post confirm that the heroic narrative of the regime no longer resonates: the majority of the people associate Fidel's name with the origins of the crisis that burdens them today.
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