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Lis Cuesta Peraza, wife of the ruling Miguel Díaz-Canel, has made headlines again during the third stop of the leader's Asian tour, this time in Laos.
The so-called “not first lady” posted on her X account that the respect for the country's religious beliefs and cultural traditions had “deeply moved” her, a message that she accompanied with a reference to the Virgen de Regla, patroness of the Havana bay.
The solemn tone of his post contrasted sharply with the reality of the island he left behind. Cuba is experiencing one of the worst crises in decades, with blackouts lasting over 20 hours, hospitals running low on supplies, acute shortages of water, food, and medicine, and an unprecedented exodus.
In this scenario, Cuesta's presence at each official trip has become a symbol of an unjustifiable expense for a national treasury that is already exhausted.
Unlike other first ladies around the world, Cuesta Peraza does not hold any official position or have constitutional duties. Nevertheless, she appears on almost all presidential tours, participates in ceremonial and cultural events, and creates a surrounding infrastructure for transportation, security, and accommodation, the costs of which have never been disclosed by the government.
The delegation traveling on a chartered flight from Plus Ultra, at an estimated cost of over 11,000 dollars per flight hour, inevitably includes Cuesta Peraza. Each of his trips, therefore, not only means an additional seat on the aircraft but also expenses for per diems, accommodation in luxury hotels, image expenses and logistical support, all funded with public money.
Meanwhile, ordinary Cubans must settle for exhortations to "resist and sacrifice," spoken by the same elite that strolls among Buddhist temples, diplomatic receptions, and displays of international fashion.
The spiritual turmoil that Cuesta Peraza claimed to feel in Laos contrasts sharply with the earthly indignation of millions of Cubans who watch time and again as their resources are squandered on meaningless trips for a figure nobody elected, who does not represent the nation and who only embodies the privilege of being part of the inner circle of power.
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