Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and one of the so-called "Five Heroes" of Cuba, tried to mock the new Tesla on his Facebook account and ended up being the target of the mockery himself.
The trigger was a meme circulating on social media in light of the presentation of the Tesla Roadster Cyberfie, the new electric sports car from Elon Musk capable of flying short distances and accelerating from zero to 96.6 km/h in just 0.81 seconds. The meme displayed, at the top, an image of the vehicle with the text "FAILED CAPITALISM," and at the bottom, a photograph of a dilapidated industrial building with the text "SUCCESSFUL SOCIALISM." The irony was obvious to anyone. For Hernández, apparently not so much.
The official posted on his profile "Gerardo de Los Cinco" a comment aimed at debunking the meme with two arguments: that the image of the crumbling building corresponds to a capitalist country, and that the Tesla contains components made in China. "This 'meme' that some groveling Cipayos are circulating is amusing. First, the image below is from a capitalist country. But also: How many 'Made in China' communist components does the show car have? They are pathetic!" he wrote.
The response from internet users was immediate and overwhelming. Several pointed out that the photo of the ruins could very well be Havana. "Did they take a picture of Havana for that meme?" asked one. "Walk through Havana and you'll see images like the ones below; you can't hide reality with words," added another. A third was more direct: "The meme here is you."
The question about the Chinese components in Tesla quickly turned against Hernández. "How many Cuban components does the car have? How many Cuban components resemble the second image?" replied one user. Another pointed out sarcastically, "It's simple, because if it were made in Cuba, they would still be on the drawing board due to a lack of electricity." And a third voice chimed in, "You don't even have a car, nor the means to put on a show."
Hernández's argument regarding the Chinese components has some technical foundation: according to industry information published in 2026, three of Tesla's five external battery cell suppliers are Chinese companies—CATL, BYD, and Sunwoda—alongside the Japanese company Panasonic and the South Korean company LG Energy Solution. But internet users countered with a compelling logic: Cuba does not manufacture automobiles, lacks a technological industry, and suffers from power outages with deficits that have exceeded 2,400 megawatts at the worst moments of 2026. “The image below matches the achievements of the 'reinvolution'. Put there, people cooking with firewood, 21st century,” wrote another commentator.
The urban deterioration that the meme ironically attributes to "successful socialism" has a very real correlate in Cuba: The housing crisis in Cuba is reflected in alarming figures: in Havana, around 1,000 housing collapses are recorded each year, according to government data cited by the press. Previously published statistics indicated that there were 185,348 properties in poor condition in the capital, while the national housing deficit exceeded 900,000 homes as of March 2026, according to official figures collected by Human Rights Watch.
"Take a stroll through Havana or any municipality in Cuba, and the destruction is worse than that image," wrote a user. Another was more blunt: "What is the difference between that image and Cuba today? Because honestly, I see no difference at all."
It is not the first time that Hernández's posts have the opposite effect of what he intended. In September, he celebrated the anniversary of the CDR in Matanzas while the province remained without electricity. In May, a meme he published against independent media sparked a flood of criticism regarding the real crisis on the island. The pattern repeats itself with a regularity that internet users now anticipate.
Meanwhile, the Tesla Roadster Cyberfie was unveiled this Thursday, October 15 at the SpaceX rocket test facilities in McGregor, Texas. The vehicle will have three versions — Performance, Thrust, and Rocket — of which the first two accept reservations with deposits of $50,000 and $250,000, respectively, while the third will only be available by invitation.
Production is expected in 2028, although Tesla has not yet announced the final sale prices. Musk described the car as a machine that "turns the fun meter up to eleven out of ten." In Cuba, the irony meter also set a new record this Friday, although in the opposite direction intended by Hernández.
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