The musical group D’Cuba, led by Miguel Díaz-Canel Villanueva, son of the Cuban leader, performed a concert in Caracas as part of the activities of the official delegation from the island at the International Business Round held in Venezuela.
The show, reviewed on Cuban Television, was aimed at the so-called 'Cuban collaborators' who fulfill 'missions' in that country (ranging from medical to repressive), in an event that blended music with political propaganda.
The event was held at the Poliedro de Caracas and was sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism of Venezuela, coordinated by the Havana embassy in that country. According to the Cuban Deputy Minister of Culture, Fernando León Jacomino -who traveled to Venezuela-, it was the same concert that took place during the inauguration of the economic forum, now replicated for the Cuban collaborators.
Curiously, since August 2024, the Venezuelan Ministry of Tourism is led by Leticia Cecilia Gómez Hernández, a Cuban who has become a Venezuelan citizen, who arrived in Venezuela in 2001 alongside the Cuban Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and quickly began to rise through the ranks in the sector.
The group D’Cuba, composed of young musicians without a solidified presence in the national scene, opened the evening with a repertoire that included songs from their first and only album, as well as previews of an upcoming album in preparation. They then shared the stage with the Santiago sextet Ecos del Tívoli.
In his statements, Díaz-Canel Villanueva did not miss the chance to adopt a distinctly political tone. “It is a tremendous opportunity to sing for the Cuban collaborators, for our brothers from the homeland, who do such important, selfless work, such work by good people,” he affirmed, describing the concert as one of the most significant of his life
His words, laden with patriotic references and to the "work" of the cooperators, stand in stark contrast to the artistic modesty of his group, which independent critics have noted benefits more from the father's surname than from their musical quality.
The fact that D’Cuba has been chosen to represent Cuban culture on an international stage has not gone unnoticed. In a country with an abundance of high-level musicians, the selection of a virtually amateur band led by the ruler's son reinforces accusations of nepotism and favoritism in the cultural sphere.
It is not the first time that the young man's presence at official events has generated controversy. Recently, he was seen sitting next to Nicolás Maduro at a commemoration of Fidel Castro's birthday, and his participation was criticized on social media for the lack of clarity regarding whether he was acting as an artist or as an official representative.
The concert in Caracas is part of Havana's strategy to strengthen the alliance with Caracas amidst the crisis faced by both regimes. It also highlights how the presidential family is carving out privileged spaces in areas where other artists, with more experience and recognition, remain excluded.
From 11J to the stages
Miguel Díaz-Canel Villanueva, artistically known as Miguel DeCuba, has developed his musical career under institutional support.
Their band, founded in 2017, has performed at universities, festivals, and official events where their presence has been promoted as part of the “young art” initiative sponsored by the official Association Hermanos Saíz.
Beyond his artistic side, the son of the leader appointed by Raúl Castro has publicly expressed political loyalty to his father.
After the massive protests on July 11, 2021, which were violently suppressed on the island, he posted a message on social media in which he adopted the official slogan: “For whatever it takes, man, for whatever it takes! Homeland or death!”.
In that same text, he supported the presidential call to confront the protesters in the streets, a stance that was challenged by artists and citizens both inside and outside of Cuba.
Since then, his speech has consistently maintained a tone that is openly aligned with the official narrative, extolling the "defense of the homeland" and the role of culture as a tool to sustain the system.
This political positioning, combined with the opportunities that his band receives on official stages both domestically and abroad, fuels the perception of privileges associated with his surname in a context of growing social unrest and economic crisis in Cuba.
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