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As the Caribbean experiences its most delicate moment in decades, with U.S. warships deployed off the Venezuelan coast and a growing atmosphere of uncertainty, the Cuban regime has chosen to look to the past for reassurance.
The Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) published a commemorative message on Tuesday regarding the landing of the yacht Granma, accompanied by an image of soldiers posing next to old Soviet tanks.
"The heroism of Granma will make the aggressors regret putting their boots on sacred ground. #CubaLivesInItsHistory," the armed institution posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The tweet, which aimed to exalt the revolutionary spirit of 1956, turned into a postcard of what many internet users described as "an unintentional display of obsolescence and fear."
The photograph shared by MINFAR showed young soldiers in worn uniforms and Soviet-era tanks that, according to military analysts, could barely start outside of a military parade.
The contrast between the epic tone of the message and the reality of the Cuban army, weakened by a lack of resources, fuel, and modernization, sparked sarcastic comments from users both on the island and beyond.
Propaganda in times of anxiety
The MINFAR publication comes just as Washington strengthens its military presence in the Caribbean, and Havana denounces "electromagnetic interference" over Venezuelan airspace, in open discursive coordination with Caracas.
However, rather than projecting strength, the message seems like a desperate maneuver for symbolic reaffirmation in the face of an international scenario that is slipping out of its grasp.
The anniversary of the Granma landing, once a date of patriotic solemnity, is being celebrated this year under the weight of suspicion and uncertainty. With the country in economic crisis and the Venezuelan ally on the verge of collapse, the epic of 1956 feels more like a nostalgic refuge than a shield of defense.
"Cuba lives in its history," proclaims the official slogan. And indeed, it seems that the Cuban regime and its military elite are trapped in their own past.
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