After the Cuban delegation participating in the UN General Assembly left the plenary on Tuesday while President Donald Trump was delivering his speech, the reaction from Cubans on social media has been striking: they did not see it as an act of dignity, but rather as a retreat without justification.
The official media outlet Cubadebate presented the withdrawal as a gesture of protest against the alleged "slander" and "lies" of Trump, but the Cubans who commented on the post on Facebook interpreted the scene in a radically different way, and their words left no room for ambiguity.
"With their tails between their legs, they have no arguments to refute; what will they talk about, the blockade? With the hundreds of shipping agencies operating daily to the Island, importing modern cars and more?" wrote an internet user.
Another was more graphic: "Without using the right of reply, without holding their heads up. It reminded me of what cockroaches do when the light is turned on."
The criticism of leaving the plenary session without exercising the right to reply was recurrent. "Ah, well, the shouting from the Cuban delegation is only directed at certain people, not at Trump. What a surprise!" pointed out another user. One more summarized the general sentiment in a single phrase: "That's what happens when the truth is told to your face."
Several internet users alluded to the economic crisis the country is facing to mock the diplomats with expressions like "they went for the chicken queue," "they were told that snack time arrived," and "they went to get the 'jabita' they were given for making a fool of themselves at the UN."
The creole humor was also present: “The deputy minister almost knocked down the little Chinese guy,” wrote one user, referring to how quickly the regime officials left the room. Another commented: “They reminded me of Elpidio Valdés. Retreat!”
One recalled the official slogan with sarcasm: "Didn’t they say 'no one surrenders here'? They surrendered and left."
The episode occurred during Trump's speech at the 81st General Assembly in New York, where the president labeled Cuba as an "absolutely failed state" and predicted that the communist regime "will fall." As he spoke, representatives of the regime stood up and left the hall.
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla announced that he intends to provide a formal response before the General Assembly on Friday, although for many Cubans, the damage is already done: the image of their diplomats leaving the room without a retort spoke louder than any subsequent statement.
The U.S. president was straightforward in his assessment: “My administration is also seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba, where the communist regime is under enormous pressure, the greatest pressure it has ever faced.”
And he added: “Communism will never come to the United States, but freedom will come to Cuba.”
Related videos:
Filed under: