Díaz-Canel's "advisor" goes on a romantic vacation to Spain amid the crisis in Cuba

Lis Cuesta's son, Manuel Anido, was spotted in Madrid having a romance with actress Ana de Armas as the crisis in Cuba intensifies and his stepfather fails as a leader, steering the country towards a failed state.

Manuel Anido Cuesta, detrás de Díaz-Canel y Ana de Armas © Al Khaleej - Instagram / Ana de Armas
Manuel Anido Cuesta, behind Díaz-Canel and Ana de Armas.Photo © Al Khaleej - Instagram / Ana de Armas

Confirmed. The rumors of a relationship between the Cuban actress and Hollywood star Ana de Armas and the son of Lis Cuesta, who is allegedly an "advisor" to the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, have made headlines in the Spanish outlet Hola, which specializes in gossip and celebrity news.

Beyond the multiple facets presented by history, it is noteworthy that the so-called "advisor" of Díaz-Canel is on a romantic vacation with the "Marilyn Monroe" of La Colmenita, right at a critical moment for the governance of the Cuban regime, during its worst economic, energy, and social crisis in history.

Presented in presidential lounges around the world as the "advisor" to his stepfather, Manuel Anido Cuesta is a relatively unknown figure to Cubans, who have scarcely seen him in the government delegations accompanying Díaz-Canel on his international trips to seek aid, oil, and opaque investments in the Island.

A graduate in Law from the University of Havana, Anido Cuesta has been involved with the official delegations of the Cuban regime, despite not holding any public office. Díaz-Canel has referred to him as his "advisor" and introduced him to the Pope at the Vatican as "the family's opponent."

Cubans, stripped of all the tools that empower citizens in a democracy, are unaware of what Anido Cuesta does, in which areas he "advises" his stepfather, why he accompanies him and his mother on international trips, or who funds his travels, his salary, or his luxurious accessories.

Díaz-Canel's "advisor" has been seen on a presidential tour in the Middle East, sitting next to Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, carrying a Montblanc briefcase—a German luxury brand—valued at $1,385.

It is to be expected that, on such occasions, his shoes, suits, and ties complement his wealthy appearance, because no one wears a Rolex with a Yumurí shirt. What could Anido Cuesta's salary be that allows him these extravagant expenses? Did Spain grant him a visa like the rest of the Cuban citizens?

"He is her son," Díaz-Canel told Pope Francis when introducing his "advisor" Anido Cuesta in June 2023, pointing to his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza. "He graduated in Law and works with me. He is the opposition in the family," added the "witty" Díaz-Canel.

Five months later, Cuesta Peraza's little boy was captured on camera in the United Arab Emirates. A photograph published in the newspaper Al Khaleej showed Díaz-Canel laughing heartily with Sheikh Mohamad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (“may God protect him”), and behind him, also laughing, was the family's "opponent."

This November, amidst the myriad misfortunes faced by the Cuban people due to the mismanagement of their "advised" leader, Anido Cuesta is caught by Hola's cameras in Madrid, strolling affectionately with Ana de Armas and her dog through the capital of Spain.

Meanwhile, Cuba is falling apart; the electrical infrastructure is collapsing. The lives of Cubans are becoming an experiment without electricity, without water, without money, without medicine, and without public services.

The Cuban regime has hit rock bottom with this new pamphlet-like display of its audacity. The demonstration of disdain and neglect from the regime's leadership towards the Cuban people now adds another piece of evidence, with Díaz-Canel's "advisor" enjoying a night out in Madrid.

Nepotism, corruption, and the thievery of the Cuban regime become visible once again, now in its leap to glossy paper.

Millions of Cubans are without electricity and at risk of food insecurity, hundreds of thousands lack water supply, thousands have lost their homes to cyclones, and many others are behind bars for protesting and demanding their rights. Meanwhile, in the Palace, they are delighted with this new "Kennedy-like" turn in the dictatorship.

From pioneering little bee to Hollywood femme fatale, Ana de Armas has just crowned her career as an agent of the regime. Unknowingly?

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Iván León

Bachelor's degree in Journalism. Master's in Diplomacy and International Relations from the Diplomatic School of Madrid. Master's in International Relations and European Integration from UAB.