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Miguel Díaz-Canel used his Facebook profile this Wednesday to congratulate the Industriales de La Habana after they were proclaimed champions of the IV Elite League of Cuban Baseball, although the post sparked a flood of ironic and critical comments regarding the serious crisis that Cuba is experiencing.
"Sixteen years of waiting have passed, but finally: Industriales champions! Unity, strategic selection of reinforcements, motivation, and determination in every game were decisive. In these difficult days, the Lions show us that nothing is impossible. Congratulations," wrote the leader.
The capital team, led by Guillermo Carmona, defeated the Leñadores de Las Tunas in the fifth game of the final series with a score of 8-2 at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium, concluding the final phase with a record of 10 wins and only three losses against their rival.
The last championship title of Industriales in Cuban baseball was the 49th National Series in 2010, under the leadership of Germán Mesa, which explains Díaz-Canel's reference to "16 years of waiting."
However, several users pointed out that this refers to the title of the Elite League—a recently created tournament—and not to the National Series, the traditional competition of greater prestige. “They don't even advise him well on this. He was champion of that invented Elite League. He is not a national champion,” wrote one commenter. Another added, “Anyone can win the Elite League nowadays... the National Series, in my opinion, is more competitive because everyone brings their best. But still, congratulations, Leones.”
The sharpest irony pointed directly at the energy crisis that Cuba is experiencing, with blackouts in Havana lasting up to 20 hours a day and a projected deficit of 2,230 MW for this Thursday according to the Electric Union.
"The big trophy of Cuba is the blackout and hunger," summarized a user.
Others turned to the symbol of portable generators from the EcoFlow brand, items that only those with access to foreign currency can afford: "One EcoFlow for each person with a panel, so that you have power and food," wrote one commentator, while a third was more succinct: "Give an EcoFlow to everyone."
There were also references to the exodus of Cuban baseball players. "Players need to be watched when they go out to compete anywhere in the world so they can't leave, because they don't want to live in Cuba and have a better life cleaning floors anywhere else in the world," pointed out a user, alluding to the massive defection of baseball players in recent years.
Some comments also pointed out that the championship went almost unnoticed because Cubans' attention is focused on the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
"The great triumph has been less noticeable due to football. Young people, and even those not so young, are focused on the development of the World Cup," wrote a user.
Another comment, laden with sarcasm, already hinted at the next official image: "I eagerly await the photo with the sack of coal next to the gladiolus," referring to the funerary iconography that in Cuba is associated with the acts of the Communist Party.
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