An apparently trivial gesture by Donald Trump became fuel for the political imagination of thousands of Cubans both on and off the island.
CiberCuba recently captured a video of the American president and turned it into a meme that, within hours, went viral and triggered an avalanche of reactions filled with irony, hope, political fervor, and also rejection.
The original material shows Trump interrupting for a few seconds a crucial oil meeting at the White House last Friday.
While talking with nearly two dozen high-ranking executives from the energy sector, gathered to discuss multimillion-dollar investments related to Venezuelan oil, the president got up from the table, walked over to a window, and began to observe the progress of his new ballroom. "What a view, this is the entrance to the ballroom," he commented before returning to his seat amid awkward laughter.
The scene, circulated by international media, reignited criticisms regarding what many consider Trump's personal obsession with this private project, designed for large receptions, gala dinners, and even future inaugurations, featuring bulletproof glass and a drone-proof roof.
In its transformation, CiberCuba gave a completely different twist to the moment. Instead of showing Trump looking at his ballroom, the meme depicts him peering out of the window from which the Plaza de la Revolución can be seen, with a gigantic image of himself taking the place where today the silhouette of Che Guevara dominates. The contrast was enough to resonate deeply with an audience marked by decades of political frustration, exile, and a desire for change.
Reactions came swiftly, especially on Instagram. For many users, the meme was perceived as a fantasy of liberation. "Come on, Cuba, we want you free," wrote one user, while others spoke of "the law of attraction," envisioning a future in which "God blesses Cuba and President Trump," or simply celebrated how "good this is getting."
There were no shortage of comments imagining a radical shift of power on the island, nor calls to share the image "so that Trump can see it."
But the meme also opened the door to controversy. Some users questioned the naivety of those celebrating the image, warning that "the Trump way will never bring anything good to a country," or labeled the scene as "stupidity." There were even those who denounced the enthusiasm as "traitorous," reminding that no real change can be imposed from outside.
Beyond humor and exaggeration, the phenomenon reveals something deeper. A simple visual montage was able to condense desires, fears, hatreds, and hopes accumulated over years within the Cuban diaspora and among those still living on the island. In that distorted mirror that is the meme, Trump is not just Trump: he is a symbol, a provocation, and, for some, a fantasy of breaking away from a system that many consider exhausted.
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