The president Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the Defense Council of the La Coronela area in La Lisa this Friday and faced a wave of criticism on Facebook after posting images from the day celebrating National Defense Day.
The leader accompanied his post with the hashtag #CubaEstáFirme and described the event as part of the "conception of the War of All the People," the slogan of the Moncada 2026 Strategic Exercise, which took place nationwide on November 4 and 5.
The visit was presented by the regime as the conclusion of the military drill, deemed the largest of the year, which mobilized the Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior, militias, reservists, and civil structures.
However, the reaction of Cubans in the comments on the post was marked by a rejection of the military rhetoric and criticism of the country's economic and social situation. "The war is not of the whole people. The war is yours," wrote one user, in a response that encapsulated much of the expressed discontent.
Other internet users questioned why authorities are dedicating resources and attention to military exercises while everyday difficulties persist. "In La Coronela, what there is, is hunger that cannot be ignored," one person pointed out.
One person asked, "Let's see why all these fools don't get to cleaning the streets and planting food?", before asserting that the ruler "the first thing he's going to do is catch a plane and disappear if he gets the chance."
Indignation also encompassed the legitimacy of the official discourse on homeland defense. "Which homeland are you going to defend? If what you have dedicated yourselves to is killing the homeland, stealing everything, subjecting a people to total misery, annihilating Cubans more each day without medicine, without food, without education," wrote another user.
"The only thing they defend is the good life they enjoy, while the rest of the starving people who support them are picking up their crumbs," added another commenter.
Several citizens described the event as a propaganda spectacle and questioned the contrast with the needs of the population. "Another show, accompanied by a lot of waste as usual. And the people are dying of hunger. Bravo," summarized an internet user.
The reactions come in a year that the regime declared the Year of Preparation for Defense. Since January, Díaz-Canel has led visits to defense zones in various municipalities, typically dressed in olive green uniform, and his posts have sparked similar criticisms.
In mid-October, his appearance in Arroyo Arenas, where he spoke of "military invulnerability" while acknowledging shortages of food, water, and electricity, generated backlash on social media.
Days later, his visit to Los Sitios also prompted ridicule from users who compared his appearance to a military "cosplay".
Citizen discontent coincides with a deep economic crisis and issues related to basic services. Various regions in Cuba are experiencing power outages lasting up to 48 consecutive hours, while power generation deficits have simultaneously affected 70% of the country. This is compounded by a persistent shortage of food, medicine, water, and liquefied gas.
In September, Díaz-Canel himself urged the residents of Havana to learn how to protect themselves in basements, semi-basements, and tunnels in the event of a potential conflict scenario.
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