The permanent representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, published a mocking video about the opposition figure José Daniel Ferrer and US Ambassador Mike Waltz, following the confrontation between Cuban diplomats and activists who denounced the repression on the island during a meeting held at the UN headquarters in New York.
The recording, shared on their X account, features images of Waltz and Ferrer adorned with pink hearts, music, and a message that humorously suggests a romantic relationship between the two.
"The love blossoms between Mike Waltz and José Daniel Ferrer", is written over the images.
Soberón accompanied the video with a comment in English: "A picture is worth a thousand words, and if it's accompanied by music, even better."
The publication concludes with the official hashtag #CubaIsNotAThreat, accompanied by the statement that the blockade is indeed a threat, a message frequently used by the Cuban government in its campaigns against U.S. sanctions.
The content drew attention because it came from a diplomat who officially represents Cuba at the United Nations and because it emerged after a day marked by insults and protests from Cuban officials against dissidents and former political prisoners.
The post by Soberón was also shared by Johana Tablada de la Torre, who launched a scathing attack on the participants in the meeting held at the UN. The Cuban official referred to them as a "vile collective" and claimed they were used to "invent excuses" to justify what she described as an aggression against the Cuban population.
"The only ones who ended up looking truly ridiculous are you."
The post sparked criticism from X users who questioned both the content of the video and the behavior of the Cuban representative.
"The method left to the henchmen of the dictatorship is discredit," wrote a netizen.
Another user responded by referencing the theme of love that appears in the recording: "With that same love, they are opening their eyes to the world and rubbing the truth in their faces."
One account questioned the behavior of the Cuban representatives at the United Nations: "The only ones who came across as true fools and lacking in protocol ethics," it wrote, before suggesting that they withdraw.
For her part, a user resorted to a play on words to criticize the ambassador: "You are the representative of the diplochusma." The same account described the Cuban officials as "diplomats" who are less prepared and questioned their behavior.
"This post represents the Havana mafia," affirmed a user.
There were also responses that questioned a possible homophobic connotation in the romantic insinuation of the video, as well as ironic messages that followed the ambassador's joke.
A homophobic gesture reported during the act of repudiation
The controversy arises after Cuban journalist José Raúl Gallego reported another incident that occurred during the protest of the Cuban delegation at the UN.
In a post on Facebook, Gallego drew attention to a segment of a video shared by José Daniel Ferrer and urged viewers to pay attention to what happens around the 37-second mark.
According to his description, a man dressed in a black jacket, whom he attributed to the Cuban delegation, moves his hands mimicking the fluttering of a bird while shouts against the opposition are heard. The man's identity has not been confirmed.
The journalist interpreted the gesture as a homophobic mockery. In Cuba, the term "pájaro" has historically been used derogatorily to refer to gay men.
"This is Cuban diplomacy: homophobic, racist, classist, vulgar, intolerant, repressive," wrote Gallego.
The journalist also noted that in the recording, Ernesto Soberón appears, dressed in a white guayabera.
Gallego linked the episode to the historical persecution of homosexuals in Cuba, particularly the Military Units to Aid Production (UMAP), and criticized what he sees as contradictions between those historical practices and the current discourse of the Cuban government regarding LGBT rights.
A diplomatic confrontation that reached social media
The confrontation that preceded the release of the video took place on Monday, October 19, during the meeting “Cuba Libre: The oppression that Havana hides”, organized by the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations.
The event, led by Mike Waltz, brought together former political prisoners, activists, and experts who highlighted human rights violations, the conditions in prisons, and other repressive practices of the Cuban government.
Among the participants were José Daniel Ferrer, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, María Werlau, Emilio Morales, and Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis.
Representatives of the Cuban delegation staged a protest against the participants of the meeting. According to Ferrer, the officials shouted "terrorists" and "out of the UN" at those taking part in the event.
On his part, Soberón had questioned the holding of the meeting and presented it as a political maneuver by Washington to discredit the Cuban Government and influence the upcoming General Assembly vote on the U.S. embargo.
The incident occurs amid a growing diplomatic confrontation between both governments, just days before the United Nations is set to address the resolution calling for an end to the embargo, with the vote scheduled for October 27 and 28.
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