Related videos:
The Army General (r) Raúl Castro Ruz reappeared this Friday at an official event in Havana, after nearly two months of public absence and following weeks of intense rumors about his health that circulated on social media and digital platforms.
The former president, 94 years old, joined the current leader Miguel Díaz-Canel at the ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the first Central Committee of the Communist Party, the reading of the farewell letter from Che Guevara, and the founding of the newspaper Granma.
The event, held in the Universal Hall of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), brought together historical figures of the regime, including Ramiro Valdés Menéndez and José Ramón Machado Ventura.
The Presidency of Cuba shared images of the event on the social media platform X, highlighting the presence of Castro alongside Díaz-Canel during a day described as "full of emotions."
Her appearance comes after a prolonged absence that fueled speculation about her health, in a context marked by official secrecy and the crisis of credibility of state media.
From Birán to Silence
So far, the last confirmed public appearance of Raúl Castro took place on August 13 in Birán, during the commemorative event for the 99th birthday of the dictator Fidel Castro.
In that instance, the general appeared visibly frail and was assisted by officials in his movements.
After that event, his name was mentioned again in the state press only indirectly, as the sender of floral tributes or protocol messages, but he did not appear in public again.
His absence from the funeral of Vice Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas, held on September 17, was one of the events that fueled the most suspicions about his condition.
While the rest of the leadership— including Díaz-Canel and Valdés Menéndez— participated in the funeral tribute held at the Council of Ministers, Raúl only sent a floral offering. The absence of images or direct mentions of him reinforced comments about a possible deterioration of his health.
From the invented death to 'Raúl is Raúl': The regime's propagandistic response
Rumors about the alleged death of Raúl Castro began on September 22, when a Facebook profile named 'Ignacio Giménez Cuba' posted a false report of his hospitalization in Havana.
Without evidence or verifiable sources, the text was replicated by the page Periódico Patria 1892 and, from there, amplified by media outlets and users who cited it as a “non-official source.”
The turning point came when a parody page of CiberCuba spread a graphic montage announcing their “death,” turning the initial lie into a viral rumor that circulated for several days.
The disinformation chain was completed on September 26, when the very author of the rumor admitted to having deliberately fabricated it to gauge the media's reaction, thereby confirming its manufactured nature.
Only then, on September 27th, the regime responded with a massive digital campaign under the slogan "Raúl is Raúl", designed to counteract the impact of the rumor and reaffirm the symbolic vitality of the general.
Ministries, state media, and profiles linked to the security apparatus flooded social media with images of Raúl in military uniform, phrases like "With one foot in the stirrup," and coordinated hashtags (#RaúlEsRaúl, #YSigueAquí).
The visual uniformity of the campaign —same colors, typography, and messages— revealed a centralized propaganda operation aimed at projecting an image of political continuity and neutralizing the discredit caused by the former president's prolonged silence.
A symbolic reemergence
Castro's presence at the event this Friday carries significant political and symbolic weight. Beyond the historical tribute, his reappearance serves as a performance aimed at putting an end to the cycle of rumors and reinforcing the narrative of "unity and continuity" that sustains the regime.
In his speech, Díaz-Canel recalled the creation of the Communist Party as the "synthesis of the best of Cuban society" and called to "maintain revolutionary unity in the face of the media war."
Although the message focused on the remembrance of Guevara and the founders of the Party, the mention of a "ghastly campaign of defamation"—quoted by the official account of the Presidency—was interpreted as a veiled reference to the speculations about the health of the elderly general.
The event also served to pay tribute to Granma on its 60th anniversary, at a time when the state newspaper is facing a loss of influence and credibility among Cubans. Díaz-Canel called for it to "become the flagship of Cuban journalism" in light of what he described as an "intensified media war."
Between myth and fragility
With this appearance, Raúl Castro attempts to demonstrate that he remains present, even though his image reflects the passage of time and the fragility of a political generation in retreat. His figure continues to be a pillar of legitimacy for the power structure, which needs to project stability amid the economic crisis and growing social discontent.
The reappearance closes, at least momentarily, one of the largest waves of rumors about his health since his formal retirement. But it also confirms that the regime is increasingly resorting to the symbolism of the past to support a present that is becoming more and more uncertain.
In a country where citizens count blackouts more than the hours of the day, the old general returns to the stage, not so much as a political actor, but as a symbol of a totalitarian regime that refuses to die.
Filed under: