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Official journalist Arleen Rodríguez Derivet, known for her loyalty to the Cuban regime and her close ties to Miguel Díaz-Canel, addressed the criticisms sparked by the government's intervention issued this Thursday.
From the account on Facebook of his podcast Chapeando, Rodríguez not only defended the nature of Díaz-Canel's message - calling him a "statesman who does not sugarcoat difficulties" - but also severely criticized independent media and those critical of the regime.
“It was never said that the Cuban president's conference was live”, clarified the journalist in reference to the questions that arose after numerous users noticed that the wristwatch of Arleen - who served as the moderator of the event - displayed a time that did not match the hour when the speech was broadcast on Cuban Television.
“The official announcement that came from the Presidential site, the primary, official, and direct source of information, made it clear from the very beginning that it would be a 'broadcast,' there was never any mention of it being live,” concluded the pro-government communicator, who attached a screenshot of the initial information disseminated by the Presidency of Cuba.
"The paid media and those directed by the U.S. in the ongoing psychological war against Cuba, and their pawns, have unleashed a storm of publications claiming a supposed deception," he stated.
For the journalist, this is just another maneuver in what she considers a systematic disinformation campaign: “The strategy is clear: to divert attention from the statements made by the Cuban president.”
"A statesman who does not sugarcoat difficulties."
In addition to defending the manner in which the speech was delivered, Arleen Rodríguez crafted an almost idyllic interpretation of the content, portraying Díaz-Canel as a firm, clear, and brave “statesman” in the face of adversity.
According to their reading, the leader delivered a hopeful and strategic message, far from defeatism or improvisation.
However, this vision contrasts with the widespread perception among citizens and independent analysts, for whom the speech was disappointing, lacking real solutions, and characterized by a rigid, defensive, and rehearsed tone.
In her defense of Díaz-Canel, the journalist also attacked those who expected to see the leader in a vulnerable position.
“They hoped to see a president cornered, with no strategy to offer, pessimistic, discouraged, wavering, or begging before the empire. It was a harsh blow they dealt themselves,” he said.
In contrast, he argued that the speech presented a leader who is steadfast and aware of the country's challenges.
“They found a statesman who acknowledges with starkness the complexity of the situation to which external forces subject his people,” he pointed out.
He added that the leader "does not sugarcoat or downplay the difficulties, nor does he back down or appear defeated in the face of them."
Rodríguez further praised Díaz-Canel's straightforward tone when addressing the nation: “He outlines the ways to face it, and he makes it clear to the people: it will not be easy or immediate, but we do have a way out; surrender will never be an option.”
While Rodríguez praised a leadership that "does not back down" and "proposes paths," many saw a president disconnected from the reality of the country, wrapped in clichés and empty phrases that fail to alleviate or explain the acute crisis facing Cuba.
In her closing remarks, the communicator intensified her confrontational tone: “The helplessness eats away at them, and in response, they can only act as they know how: through lies and manipulation as a veil for the most toxic and foul of smokes.”
Arleen Rodríguez's words are not surprising.
His public loyalty to the figure of Díaz-Canel is well-known, and his space in Chapeando has for years been a staunch platform for defending the government’s narrative.
However, on this occasion, his intervention was not just an act of support, but also a demonstration of the nervousness within the regime's propaganda apparatus in response to the increasing public discontent and the lack of credibility stemming from their official messages.
The controversy surrounding Díaz-Canel's conference has not only been marked by its pre-recorded nature but also by the lack of concrete answers to the urgent problems facing the public.
In that context, Rodríguez Derivet's intervention aims to reinforce the image of the president as a strong leader, even though public perception points in a completely opposite direction.
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