Miguel Díaz-Canel took advantage of his visit to the Special Education School "Solidarity with Panama" in Havana to post a message on his X account that praises the legacy of the Castros and reinforces the regime's propaganda narrative.
On Saturday, Díaz-Canel attended the quinceañera party of 19 students with physical-motor disabilities —nine girls and ten boys— celebrating their 15th birthday at that institution. The following day, he posted his gratitude on social media.
"It is always very exciting for me to return to that institution founded by Fidel and always cared for by Raúl, where nothing is impossible, where love overcomes all shortcomings, and where our children with physical-motor disabilities receive the most professional attention and the closest and most loving care," wrote the Cuban leader.
The event was also attended by the Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, other authorities from the Party and the Government, and the Ambassador of Panama to Cuba, Edward Pitty Madrid.
The event was dedicated to Raúl Castro, who was not present but received greetings. One of the honorees, Yelena Sans Duarte, had invited Díaz-Canel through a letter written with her mouth.
The school was inaugurated on December 31, 1989, by Fidel Castro as a national reference center in special education for children with physical-motor disabilities, with an emphasis on childhood cerebral palsy. It currently has over 200 students and serves from preschool to ninth grade. The tradition of celebrating its students' fifteenth birthdays began in 1999 and was only interrupted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The use of the institution as a propaganda showcase is not new. In December 2024, Raúl Castro and Díaz-Canel attended the event for the 35th anniversary of the center, one of the few public events the former leader attended with his successor, interpreted as a gesture of political support amid a severe economic crisis that has plunged the Cuban GDP by 23% since 2019.
The contrast with the reality faced by many Cuban families with disabled children is stark. On April 2, families of individuals with autism sent an open letter to Díaz-Canel demanding care for autistic adults confined in homes since the age of 16 or 18 due to the lack of inclusive projects.
In September 2025, the Ministry of Education denied enrollment in a specialized center to Félix Berto, a six-year-old boy with moderate autism, despite having a medical certificate. His mother, Yislainet Lara, publicly denounced the case.
While the regime turns the quinceañera celebration at the "Solidarity with Panama" School into a showcase for the alleged humanity of the Revolution, hundreds of Cuban families with disabled children face abandonment and exclusion from a State that lacks the resources to attend to them, yet has time for political photography.
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