Lis Cuesta Flaunts Luxury Smartphone During China Visit Amid Cuban Crisis

As Cuba grapples with one of its most severe crises in decades, characterized by frequent power outages and a scarcity of essential goods, Lis Cuesta, the wife of Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, continues to display her taste for luxury during official trips. While visiting China with Díaz-Canel, Cuesta posted a photo on X of her meeting with UNESCO-recognized silhouette artist Liu Qipei. However, what grabbed the most attention was the luxurious smartphone she held in the image: a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. In the U.S., this phone is priced between $1,200 and $1,300, while in Europe, it exceeds 1,300 euros.

Experts examining the image confirmed that Cuesta owns one of the latest models in Samsung's foldable series, introduced with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The phone's features, such as its clamshell design, dual vertical rear cameras, and external rectangular display, make it a coveted luxury item worldwide.

Exhibition of Wealth: Beyond the Smartphone

Lis Cuesta's display of opulence in China wasn't limited to her phone. During this same visit, she was spotted wearing branded sunglasses and flaunted a Cartier watch, which could cost over $12,000. This is likely the same watch she wore in December 2022 during her doctoral thesis defense, which is listed at more than $13,000 in official French catalogs.

Her social media behavior further highlights her vanity, as she portrays herself as a government figure despite not holding any high-ranking position or being recognized as the first lady. On X, she assumes the authority to speak for "our universities and organizations," suggesting connections between Cuban institutions and the Beijing Business Academy.

A Lifestyle Detached from Cuban Reality

The lavish lifestyle of Lis Cuesta and Díaz-Canel extends beyond phones and watches. In December 2022, Cuesta was recorded shopping in a mall in Granada, escorted by two bodyguards, one of whom was her son. Her remark, "I'm looking for a kid's shirt with pirates," became viral, highlighting her disconnect from a populace enduring severe shortages.

Díaz-Canel has similarly faced criticism for repeatedly using a private jet leased from the Spanish airline Plus Ultra at a steep $11,000 per flight hour. This Airbus A330-200 is being used on his Asia tour and was previously utilized for trips to the Middle East and the United Nations in New York.

Criticism of the Cuban Regime

Images of Lis Cuesta with high-end gadgets, luxury sunglasses, and expensive watches epitomize Cuba's current reality: a ruling elite enjoying the high life in exclusive hotels, shops, and aircraft, while millions of Cubans endure daily blackouts exceeding 20 hours, an economy crippled by inflation, and a crumbling healthcare system lacking basic medicines and supplies.

Although Cuesta holds no official position, she enjoys full privileges, embodying the most obscene facet of a regime preaching austerity and resilience while indulging in luxuries unaffordable on any salary. Her constant presence on official tours is evidence that the Cuban dictatorship fortifies itself politically and familialy, ensuring benefits and privileges for its kin.

In a nation where children go to school without milk, hospitals lack sutures, and people cook with firewood due to electricity shortages, Lis Cuesta's images with a thousand-dollar Samsung and a luxury Cartier watch are a blatant mockery of the Cuban people's plight. They encapsulate the essence of power in Cuba: detachment, impunity, and utter disregard for the populace.