A 14-second clip captured backstage during an interview for the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo sparked a wave of mockery and outrage on social media this Sunday: in it, Lis Cuesta Peraza can be seen styling Miguel Díaz-Canel's hair using saliva, while the Cuban leader smiles broadly at the cameras.
The video, published by the very channel of Folha as preliminary material for the recording, shows Cuesta fixing Díaz-Canel's gray hairs with fingers moistened in saliva. The ruler's wife made a joke during the scene: "I'm going to patent the product," she said, referring to her own saliva as a hair setting agent.
The reactions came quickly. Journalist José Raúl Gallego shared the clip with a comment that captured the feelings of many: "What you are about to see is not artificial intelligence, nor a fabrication of imperialism; it is the beginning of the interview with Díaz-Canel published today by the Brazilian media outlet Folha de S. Paulo. This is 'the class' and the level of common sense of the person they have put in charge of administering Cuba."
Gallego added, with sarcasm, "Not even a cow gives as much saliva to a newborn calf."
José L. Tan Estrada, under the hashtag #TanteandoCuba, wrote: "If you thought you had seen it all, Lis Cuesta appears to be grooming Díaz-Canel with saliva." His post surpassed 1,500 views and was shared 297 times.
The activist and founder of the #Somos+ movement, Eliecer Ávila, also shared the clip with the text: “Lis Cuesta brushes Díaz-Canel's gray hair with her saliva to record an interview with the Brazilian journalist, Mónica Bergamo.”
The contrast between the domestic scene and the context in which it occurs amplified the impact of the video. The in-depth interview granted to journalist Mônica Bergamo addressed the most severe crisis Cuba has faced in decades: an electricity generation deficit that exceeded 2,411 MW on August 5 — a historic record — only one oil shipment received in seven months, more than 98,000 patients waiting for surgeries, and a healthcare system that barely covers 30% of the essential medication list.
In that same interview, Díaz-Canel stated that he is "very pained" by the situation of the Cuban people and claimed to have no properties or bank accounts. When asked if he fears he might share the fate of Nicolás Maduro—captured by U.S. forces in January 2026—he responded: "If it comes to me, it comes to me. But it will not be with weakness, it will not be with cowardice; it will be fighting, fighting."
The scene of the hairdo with saliva is not the first time Lis Cuesta has sparked controversy on social media. In June 2026, the U.S. included her on the OFAC sanctions list, making her the first spouse of a Cuban leader to receive a direct U.S. sanction. She responded with sarcasm.
For many users, the video of the hairstyle with saliva became an involuntary symbol this Sunday of the chasm between the image projected by the ruling couple and the everyday reality of millions of Cubans.
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