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The Cuban troubadour Raúl Torres posted a passionate "prose poem" on Facebook dedicated to Miguel Díaz-Canel following the interview the leader gave to American journalist Kristen Welker from NBC News, in which he stated that each response from the leader "was another brick in that different wall that is not made of hate, but of dignity."
The interview, recorded at the José Martí Memorial in Havana, was the first granted by a Cuban leader to American television since Fidel Castro appeared on the same program in 1959. The full version, lasting 53 minutes, was aired this Sunday.
But all it took for Torres was to see one of the segments that had been published earlier for the "patriotic" muse to inspire him, and he dictated sweet lines to praise the leader. He was greatly impressed that Canel appeared willing to give his life for the revolution, which is why he compared him to historical figures from the Cuban revolutionary pantheon.
In the voice of the leader —who usually has diction problems and breaks— the troubadour felt "a chorus of generations, the rustle of Maceo's machetes, the measured pause of Che when he smoked and contemplated, the quiet storm of Fidel at the podium."
Torres pointed out that the questions with a "cutting edge" and "trap" were dismantled by the Cuban president "with a calmness that is not passivity but rather composure," "like someone disarming traps to catch snakes." Apparently, the lyrical genius of the official troubadour did not realize that by noting they were setting snake traps for Canel, he was revealing that they considered him one of these reptiles.
"For that transparent simplicity, for that way of looking into the eyes without lowering one’s head, that is why the empire doesn’t know what to do with him. Because you can’t buy someone who has no price," the troubadour melted away, known for his incessant output of musical themes every time a high-ranking government official in the Island passes away or official propaganda requires it.
It’s not the first time that Torres has amazed on social media with his unwavering positions in favor of the regime. In 2021, he released "Patria o Muerte por la vida," a song in response to the opposition anthem "Patria y Vida," which Google classified as the worst song of that year. The track accumulated 48,135 dislikes compared to 4,500 likes on YouTube, an overwhelming difference that forced the author himself to publicly ask for more positive votes.
The troubadour has maintained a consistent line of support for the ruling power on the Island. In August 2025, he released "Soy por Fidel" for the 99th anniversary of the former dictator's birth, and days earlier, he publicly defended the singer Israel Rojas with a cry of support for the revolution.
"Before the cameras, a man spoke. But he was not alone. We were all there. And his voice was ours. And his defense was that of a story that does not deserve to end up in the trash of capital. Let it be so. Let it continue that way. Until victory, always," he concluded his "poem" for social media.
In Parnassus, the angels of poetry shuddered.
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