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The May Day parade in Pinar del Río this Friday left one of the most revealing and difficult-to-justify images, with healthcare personnel marching with a giant prescription where dictator Fidel Castro (1926-2016) appears as the "doctor" and President Donald Trump as the "patient" diagnosed with Alzheimer's, while a neonatal incubator was displayed in the middle of the street as part of the setup.
The image was posted by the Facebook page of the provincial telecenter Tele Pinar and quickly went viral on social media, generating a flood of mockery and criticism towards the regime.
"We'll talk about the recipe later, but I hope that incubator is a toy because taking something like that out onto the street where it gets filled with germs is really unethical," wrote user Cuqui Cuban.
Several commentators pointed out the irony that in Cuba there are no medical prescriptions available in hospitals, precisely the format that nurses used as a propaganda tool.
"Years ago in Cuba, there are no recipes; they should have written that on a piece of paper to make it more believable," noted Emely A. González.
Other users highlighted the contrast between the spectacle of the parade and the everyday reality of the island.
"When they return to their homes, without electricity, without gas, without food, without medicine, without money, without their own lives, that is the reality," wrote Juan Antonio Castellano Camue.
Sisiliany Sánchez was more straightforward: "After 38 hours without electricity, having not slept all night, I see this and I can only think that they deserve extra hours of blackout."
Some interpreted the sign in reverse, questioning whether the message was that Trump was the cure.
"So, the medicine to cure Alzheimer's is Trump? Everyone interprets it to their convenience, like everything here," commented Caridad Pérez.
George Asencio was more forceful in his historical interpretation. "The only recipe Fidel Castro applied was the betrayal of the Cuban people. He called us to overthrow Batista and then handed us over to the USSR. The perfect recipe of a criminal."
This year's parade was dedicated to the centenary of Fidel Castro's birth, the 65th anniversary of the Victory of Playa Girón, and the XXII Congress of the Central Workers' Union of Cuba, featuring a markedly militaristic and anti-imperialist tone.
The central event was moved from the Plaza de la Revolución to the Anti-Imperialist Tribune in front of the United States Embassy, officially justified by "austerity" and the "cruel energy blockade."
Pinar del Río has a history of unusual images during these parades. In 2022, workers from Guane created a replica of Fidel Castro's tomb made of foam, and in 2023, participants paraded in wedding attire.
Nationwide, in 2023, the medical prescription format had already been used in a poster signed by "Dr. Díaz-Canel" in Havana, establishing a direct precedent in the May Day events.
The irony of the poster is amplified by the actual health crisis. Cuba is facing a chronic shortage of medications in 2026, with empty pharmacies and hospitals lacking basic supplies, a situation that was documented by a team from NBC in a Cuban hospital for the first time in a decade.
"What a ridiculous situation. At this point in the game, with the terrible misery being experienced in Cuba, to lend oneself to that foolishness," summarized Yosvy Díaz.
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