A video released this Thursday by the Presidencia de Cuba about Miguel Díaz-Canel's visit to areas affected by Hurricane Melissa in Guantánamo sparked a wave of outrage on social media, where thousands of Cubans questioned the apparently warm reception depicted in the images.
In the audiovisual material, the president is seen approaching a group of residents who greet him, touch him, and repeatedly sing: “Whatever it takes, Canel, whatever it takes”. A chorus that official communication presents as a sign of unity and support amidst the tragedy, but for a significant number of users, it was a scene disconnected from the reality that the island is experiencing.
The Presidency reported that Díaz-Canel toured communities severely affected in the municipality of El Salvador, where thousands of homes suffered damage and issues with water, electricity, and dengue persist. According to official figures, more than 15,000 houses were affected, and only a little over 4,000 have been repaired so far.
Nevertheless, the government’s publication highlights phrases of "honor," "courage," and "revolutionary spirit" of the people of Guantanamo, while showcasing the president amidst applause and slogans.
That staging, in a territory plagued by hunger, fallen roofs, families without resources, and weeks without electricity, sparked the annoyance of many Cubans who believe that the video attempts to create a facade of unanimous support that does not reflect the harshness of the moment.
The comments were a true thermometer of discontent. More than six thousand users reacted, mostly to question the scene:
Many lamented that, despite the misery of the territory, there are people "thanking" the one responsible for the crisis: "Dying of hunger and need and they keep shouting stupid things, that's why they have to be like this", a user criticized.
Others recalled that resignation is part of the cycle of poverty: “Human beings live as they think... we deserve what we have.”
Several people expressed that this type of imagery "takes away hope" and depicts a country "without a future and without memory."
There were also those who claimed that the supposed support is manipulated: "That's a small group of militants, watch the video closely: the real people are behind them, unable to get close."
A particularly recurring comment was: "That's why I don't donate anything… there you have it 'for whatever'”, a reaction from the indignant diaspora upon seeing images supporting the government in one of the provinces with the highest poverty in the country.
The phrase chanted in the video is not new: it was one of the slogans at the start of the protests on July 11, when the government tried to mobilize supporters to confront the demonstrations.
That it reappears now, in a devastated province with families desperate to rebuild their homes, for many only confirms the political exploitation of precarity.
“It is the height of absurdity to applaud pain and misfortune”, wrote a user.
"Thanking poverty to one of those who caused it", said another.
“Every people has what they deserve... if they are happy that way, long live the Caesar”, an internet user sarcastically remarked.
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