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Lis Cuesta Peraza, wife of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, published this Wednesday on her X account the message 'Present, now and always!' along with an image of the white scarf of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the civic-military coup in Argentina.
However, the publication sparked a wave of criticism accusing it of double standards and hypocrisy for failing to mention the political prisoners of the dictatorship in Cuba.
The post, framed within the 'Handkerchiefs Will Bloom' campaign, honors Azucena Villaflor de De Vicenti —founder of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, who was kidnapped and disappeared on December 10, 1977, from her home in La Boca, and whose body was identified only in 2005—.
The image published by Lis Cuesta included the text '30 THOUSAND COMRADES PRESENT NOW AND ALWAYS! 1976 • MARCH 24 • 2026', referencing the approximately 30,000 missing persons during the Argentine dictatorship known as the National Reorganization Process, led by Videla, Massera, and Agosti.
The post accumulated 700 views, 32 likes, and 17 comments, most of which were negative.
Users pointed out the contradiction of the Cuban First Lady paying tribute to victims of a foreign dictatorship while remaining silent about the repression exercised by the regime she is part of.
Among the harshest comments, a user wrote: "Seriously??? Argentina??? And what about Cuba??? You have to be shameless!!!"
Another pointed out directly: "Lis, aren't you going to denounce the genocide of the Cuban dictatorship against its people? Do you realize that what you're doing is falsehood?"
Critics point to the situation on the island, where the that requires 94 million dollars to be addressed.
This episode adds to a long list of publications by Lis Cuesta that have sparked controversy. In March 2026, she described the Cuban healthcare crisis as 'very sad', and on March 8th, she congratulated Cuban women while acknowledging the 'tough times' the country is facing, without offering concrete solutions from her privileged position.
In November 2025, criticism poured in regarding Lis Cuesta for speaking about children's rights amidst the crisis affecting the island, and that same month she confessed that things are going badly and sought refuge in Fidel Castro.
Her public image has also been called into question due to her luxurious appearance at official events while the Cuban population faces shortages of food, medicine, and electricity.
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