Miguel Díaz-Canel welcomed the Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung on Monday in Havana. Le is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam and special envoy of the General Secretary To Lam. This official visit sparked a wave of criticism on social media from Cubans frustrated by their government's efforts to strengthen ties with allied regimes while the Island sinks into misery.
Díaz-Canel posted a photograph of his meeting with the Vietnamese diplomat and his team on X.
"I welcomed Comrade Le Hoai Trung, special envoy, member of the Political Bureau of the PCV, and Foreign Minister of Vietnam. We emphasized the historic and strong ties that unite our parties, governments, and peoples. I expressed gratitude for the ongoing solidarity of our Vietnamese brothers with Cuba," he wrote in the tweet.
The audience's response arrived swiftly, and it was overwhelming.
"What does Vietnam offer to Cuba? How does it help? How do historical ties benefit the Cuban people? We have allied for years with countries that contribute nothing to our nation," wrote a user, summarizing the sentiments of dozens of comments.
Another internet user was more direct: "You are a true joke. 67 years of ties with other countries and Cuba increasingly in misery."
"Cuba despises you. You are here by force, leave now, you bunch of shameless people and murderers," demanded a Cuban political prisoner.
A Venezuelan also joined the criticism: "When are they going to remove this criminal from Cuba? Those people are suffering without electricity, water, or food, under a criminal and murderous dictatorship."
Several comments pointed to a paradox that the regime prefers to ignore: Le Hoai Trung himself met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on February 19, 2026, to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States.
"It's the same one who met with Marco Rubio this year in Washington. No one will save them," pointed out a user with evident irony.
"Today Trung and tomorrow Trump, but you'll find that out when you see the Navy Seals in your face. What a mess. PS: Trump says to shove Cayo Santa María up your a.s.s.; his hotels are built in free territories, not in dictatorships," another person emphasized.
Several forum members referred to the Castro regime's habit of begging around the world.
"Surely you asked for a ton of donations and free stuff," one person pointed out.
"You are nothing but cheap prostitutes; in order to cling to power, you're even willing to spread your legs and make the bed, sold to the highest bidder," wrote another user.
Between 2018 and 2024, Vietnam donated 67,940 tons of rice to Cuba, and in 2025 raised and donated 23.3 million dollars to the regime as part of a solidarity campaign.
"Donation of rice for the big bellies," a commentator summarized sarcastically in the post, while another concluded, "You are the most shameless people in the world. Don’t you understand that it’s time to leave, or do we have to force you out?"
During Le Hoai Trung's trip to Cuba, he also met with the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, visited the joint rice project Cuba-Vietnam in the municipality of Los Palacios in Pinar del Río, inspected the Mariel Special Development Zone, where Vietnam is the second country with the most business presence, and visited ViMariel S.A., a company with Vietnamese capital that has been operating since 2019.
The visit comes at a time when Cuba is experiencing its worst crisis in decades: blackouts lasting more than 24 hours, a power generation deficit that exceeded 2,113 megawatts in May, and 33.9% of Cuban households reporting hunger, according to data published by the Food Monitor Program.
The irony that Cubans highlight the most is that Vietnam implemented the Doi Moi reforms in 1986, which reduced state participation in the economy from 90% to 40% and transformed the country into an exporter of rice, while the Cuban regime maintains a rigid central planning system with the private sector comprising only 13%.
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