An advisor to the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, traveled to Cuba as part of a U.S. socialist delegation that held meetings with high-ranking representatives of the Havana regime, including Miguel Díaz-Canel, while enjoying luxury accommodations, plentiful meals, and exclusive restaurants in a country marked by food shortages and deteriorating living conditions.
It is about Danny Valdez, a friend and political collaborator of Mamdani, who participated in a visit organized by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) from October 22 to 26, 2023.
The details were revealed by the American newspaper New York Post in an investigation published on October 11, based on a travel diary written by Valdez himself and originally published in November 2023, before being removed from the internet.
In that document, titled The Diaries of Cuba, Valdez enthusiastically described the comforts enjoyed by the delegation during their stay in Havana, while acknowledging the stark contrast between their privileges and the hardships faced by the Cubans.
"Without a doubt, we had an extraordinarily luxurious experience in Cuba.", wrote Valdez, according to the newspaper.
The activist detailed that the group members traveled in a large air-conditioned bus, had unlimited access to food and water, and stayed in modern facilities with services that are not easily accessible to most residents of the island.
"Our hotel was elegant and modern, featuring a rooftop pool, a gym, and a full bar at our disposal," he recounted then.
Five-star hotel and exclusive restaurants in Havana
During their visit, Valdez and other members of DSA, including the national co-chair of the organization, Ashik Siddique, stayed at the Grand Aston Havana, a five-star establishment with approximately 600 rooms, a rooftop pool, spa, bars, and restaurants.
Valdez himself published photographs of some of the amenities the delegation received, including a welcome cocktail that he described as a sweet blue drink made with rum.
According to the New York Post, visitors also enjoyed meals at several exclusive restaurants in the Cuban capital and concluded their stay with a dinner at La Torre, a restaurant located on the 33rd floor of the iconic Focsa building.
The personal diary recorded observations on the contrast between the luxury of those facilities and the conditions encountered outside of them.
Valdez acknowledged that the hotel had ample food supplies, while in the streets he observed signs of poverty and dilapidated buildings that he compared to bombed-out structures.
The experience described by the activist contrasts with the findings of the Ninth Social Rights Study by the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH), published in August 2026 and cited by the American newspaper.
According to that report, 94% of Cubans lived in extreme poverty, and eight out of ten people skipped meals daily.
A meeting with Díaz-Canel to promote an end to the embargo
Beyond the comforts of the trip, the U.S. delegation had access to important figures in Cuban political power.
One of the central meetings took place on the third day of the visit, when the members of DSA met with Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Valdez regarded that meeting as a political achievement for his organization, which holds a favorable stance on lifting the U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba.
"For our delegation, the fact that this meeting took place was a real achievement. It was a sign that the Cuban government took our organization seriously and viewed us as potential partners in the effort to end the U.S. blockade," he wrote.
During the meeting, Díaz-Canel expressed his criticisms of Washington's policy and argued that U.S. sanctions hindered the country's economic development.
"No other country has to operate under such conditions. Vietnam and China are not under blockade and can develop their approach to socialism," stated the Cuban leader, according to Valdez's account.
The delegation also held meetings with Mariela Castro, director of the National Center for Sexual Education (CENESEX) and daughter of former ruler Raúl Castro.
The trip allowed American activists to make direct contacts with representatives of the Cuban political structure and to learn firsthand about Havana's official position on relations with the United States.
Although the New York Post presented these contacts as part of an operation to influence U.S. foreign policy, it did not report any criminal charges against Valdez or the members of the delegation for their involvement in the trip.
The connection between Valdez and Mayor Zohran Mamdani
The investigation also highlights the relationship between Danny Valdez and Zohran Mamdani, who won the New York City Council seat after a campaign supported by sectors of the American left.
Valdez organized a fundraising campaign for Mamdani's 2025 election and publicly described himself as a friend of the New York politician.
In November of that year, he reminisced in a post on X that he had organized, along with others, a small fundraising event in his living room to support a socialist friend whose candidacy for mayor seemed unlikely to succeed.
Additionally, Valdez stated that he advised Mamdani on matters related to Cuba during the electoral campaign.
That collaboration was mentioned in a questionnaire for DSA candidates for 2025 and later confirmed by Valdez himself, according to the New York Post.
However, the investigation does not provide evidence that Mamdani participated in the 2023 visit, organized meetings with Cuban officials, or was involved in the activities carried out by the delegation in Havana.
In April 2026, Valdez founded the nonprofit organization Cuban Americans for Cuba, dedicated to promoting the lifting of the U.S. embargo.
"We are Cuban Americans united by a common goal: to end the U.S. embargo against Cuba", stated the organization's website.
His grandfather was imprisoned in Cuba, but Valdez defended aspects of the system
One of the most striking passages in Valdez's personal diary addresses the story of his own family.
According to the New York Post, his relatives left Cuba after Fidel Castro came to power, and his grandfather spent six years in prison for political reasons.
Despite this background, Valdez expressed an understanding stance toward the Cuban government and attributed some of its repressive practices to the historical confrontation with the United States.
"Of course I wish the Cuban government did not resort to the kind of political repression that led to my grandfather being imprisoned for six years", he wrote.
However, he added, "But wishes do not create political reality."
The activist argued that U.S. pressure forced Cuban authorities to govern under conditions similar to those of a state of permanent war.
"When one understands the origin of the aggression in this conflict and appreciates the magnitude of the war being waged against Cuba, it is difficult not to side with Cuba," he asserted.
He also made favorable comments about certain community functions of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), despite acknowledging that this same structure had been responsible for the arrest of his grandfather.
Valdez highlighted what he considered the community contributions of that organization, although his own testimony acknowledged the repressive consequences that his family had endured.
Valdez confirmed the trip and his meeting with the Cuban leader
Contacted by the New York Post, Valdez confirmed that he had traveled to Cuba and had met with Miguel Díaz-Canel.
He also acknowledged his collaboration with Mamdani on issues related to the politics towards the island during the New York City mayoral campaign.
The activist explained that the purpose of the trip was to challenge the U.S. embargo and reaffirm DSA's opposition to Washington's policy towards Havana.
According to the newspaper, neither Valdez nor Ashik Siddique responded to their requests for additional comments on certain aspects of the investigation.
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