Miguel Díaz-Canel published a congratulatory message on his social media this Saturday to Kim Jong Un and to the members of the Workers' Party of Korea on the 81st anniversary of its foundation, accompanied by a photograph of both leaders shaking hands in front of the flags of Cuba and North Korea.
"Congratulations to comrade Kim Jong Un and all the militants of the Workers' Party of Korea on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of its foundation. We reiterate our commitment to developing the historic ties of friendship between both Parties and peoples," wrote the Cuban leader.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla also added his voice to the greetings, expressing according to the state media Prensa Latina the desire to strengthen the ties of "brotherhood, solidarity, and cooperation" between the two countries.
The post quickly sparked a wave of critical and mocking comments among Cubans on social media, who described the gesture as a sign of complicity between authoritarian regimes.
"Cooperation in torture chambers," wrote a user identified as Ore Esco.
Another commentator, Frank Michel Velazquez Santiesteban, was more direct: "There isn't a drop of shame! Everything comes in life, and I believe it will come soon. There's no evil that lasts a hundred years nor a country that can withstand it. Tick tock, tick tock."
Melissa Frontela Vázquez summed up the feelings of many with a phrase: "This is terrifyingly fun."
Flor Alelis added an irony that reflects the mood on the Island: "Even they are better off than in Cuba."
The congratulation to Kim comes just three days after Díaz-Canel greeted Vladimir Putin on his 74th birthday, a gesture that also sparked outrage among Cubans who pointed out the contradiction of praising authoritarian foreign leaders while the Island suffered from blackouts of over twenty hours a day and a severe water supply crisis.
In April 2026, Díaz-Canel had already congratulated Kim on his reelection as president of the State Affairs Commission, promising that Cuba would make "every possible effort" to help North Korea overcome the pressure from "hostile forces."
Cuba and North Korea have maintained diplomatic relations since 1960, and the ties between the Communist Party of Cuba and the Workers' Party of Korea have been a constant in the official rhetoric of both governments, based on the defense of socialism and opposition to what they call foreign interference.
Díaz-Canel visited Pyongyang in November 2018, where he met with Kim Jong Un, and Cubans have consistently reacted to each of these diplomatic gestures, describing them as solidarity among dictators while the population faces an unprecedented crisis.
"There is no evil that lasts a hundred years nor a country that can endure it," insisted Velazquez Santiesteban in his comment, a phrase that resonated among those who shared it as a reminder that the patience of the Cuban people has its limits.
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