The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel became the target of a wave of ridicule and criticism on social media again after he published a message featuring a quote from Fidel Castro and a video of his participation in the exercises for the National Defense Day, celebrated on January 24.
In the post shared on his official social media, Díaz-Canel wrote: “The cost of aggression for imperialism must always be higher than the possible benefits it seeks to obtain from its aggression.” The message, accompanied by the hashtags #100YearsWithFidel and #CubaIsCourage, included images of the leader in uniform greeting troops during a military exercise, in the presence of the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Álvaro López Miera, and other high-ranking officials of the regime.
The post sparked thousands of reactions, with the majority of comments filled with irony, rejection, and sarcasm regarding the military display. Although some official profiles responded with supportive messages such as "Defending the Homeland is a sacred duty", "A united people will never be defeated", or "Onward to victory always", the overall response was one of mockery and discontent.
One of the comments reflected the feelings of many users: “The only thing we need to protect the people of Cuba from is you”. Others made sarcastic remarks about the state of the army and the precariousness of the country: “Spending the little gasoline they have left”, “A single plane and it all goes down”, or “It looks like an army from the 70s”, while some described the video as “a movie from World War II”.
The parallels with the Venezuelan regime and the recent detention of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces were also prevalent. Comments such as "This is how Maduro started, and look how he ended up", "They'll get rid of this one in no time", or "Just a few days away from keeping Nicolás Maduro company. What nerves" reflected the immediate connection that many users made between the two scenes.
During the exercises, held at the Great Tank Unit of the Combative Glory “Rescate de Sanguily” and an anti-aircraft defense unit, Díaz-Canel rallied the troops, stating that “the best way to prevent an aggression is to make imperialism calculate the cost of attacking our country,” according to official reports.
Many comments focused on the propagandistic tone of the video and the appearance of the military group that accompanied the leader: “Those old men are hilarious”, “What a bunch of geezer”, “They look like they're made of playdough” or “They are fumigating for mosquitoes”. Others were harsher: “Circus and clowning around, light, food, medicine: that would be the best for Cubans” and “The people are fighting, and they are just watching”.
The contrast between the solemnity of the message and the popular humor was immediate. "This is a meme," wrote one user, while others claimed that "even the tanks don’t want to fight for that town" or that "Cuba is producing the best memes in the world." Many agreed that the video "should be a Netflix movie."
Some made direct reference to the international context and the figure of U.S. President Donald Trump, with phrases like "Trump, they are tempting you" or "Before December, a free Cuba", while others mocked the tone of the maneuvers: "With those tanks all destroyed, they won't be able to do anything" or "One BELL AH-1Z VIPER helicopter could take out all those obsolete weapons".
Several users pointed out the regime's disconnection from the national reality, stating: "Stop playing soldiers and give food to the people", "What a shame, they inspire laughter and pain for my Cuba", and "Spending the little they have playing war". Others simply commented with resignation or sarcasm: "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" and "Cuba doesn't want the Castros, Cuba wants to be part of the United States".
Fidel's statement, intended as a message of strength, ultimately became reinterpreted as a symbol of the regime's ideological exhaustion. Amid blackouts, scarcity, and growing international isolation, the image of Díaz-Canel rallying troops with outdated weaponry transformed for many Cubans into a depiction of the anachronism that dominates power on the island.
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