A Cuban content creator known on Instagram as @mihumildeopinion55 has fiercely criticized leader Miguel Díaz-Canel for his dismissive behavior toward an elderly woman affected by Hurricane Melissa in the town of Cauto Embarcadero, Granma. The leader reacted with visible annoyance when the woman complained about losing her bed, responding, "I don't have one to give you either."
In a video posted on his Instagram account, the influencer did not hold back. "Saint Canel, the misery of fallen lemons, this message is for you," he began, laced with sarcasm.
His tone, a blend of outrage and mockery, was straightforward: "You, who today argue with an old lady, who went to see the victims and waved your hand dismissively at a lady who said she had no bed. Do you think that’s becoming of a president? You don't fit the profile, no."
The Cuban influencer condemned what millions of viewers saw as a display of presidential arrogance and a lack of empathy in the face of disaster. "That’s cowardice on your part, Saint Canel of the fallen lemons and misery," he concluded, using the popular sarcasm that has become the most candid form of political criticism in Cuba today.
He went further, highlighting the absurdity that has become a norm in Cuban politics. Like many Cubans, he questioned the absence of the leader's wife, Lis Cuesta: "Why didn’t you bring Peggy? Because they would dress her in olive green and mistake her for a tamale made of banana leaves, and with the hunger in Cuba, they’d want to eat her."
His words, irreverent yet resonant, captured the frustration of a nation tired of its leaders responding to its suffering with disdain. On social media, the episode of the “I don't have one either” response has become a symbol of exhausted leadership, a system that can only reply to misery with cynicism.
The influencer’s video emerged after the government launched a media campaign to erase the public humiliation Díaz-Canel faced during that exchange.
First, there was the program Chapeando Bajito, accusing independent media of “manipulating” the context of the dialogue. Then, the first secretary of the Party in Granma, Yudelkis Ortiz Barceló, appeared with the elderly woman, Francisca—now docile and grateful—in a video intended to portray her as a symbol of revolutionary loyalty.
“I thank this beautiful revolution and Commander Fidel, who is still alive,” Francisca said, with enthusiasm that seemed more scripted than genuine. The scene, like many in recent history, confirmed what many already knew: in Cuba, pain is corrected in front of the camera.
That’s why the complaint from @mihumildeopinion55 resonates beyond humor. Behind the sarcasm and caricature, there’s a nation that sees itself in the helplessness of an elderly woman who merely asked for a bed, and in the mockery of a president who has lost his sense of decorum.
Amid fallen lemons and imaginary tamales, this Cuban’s video encapsulates what millions think but few can say aloud: the problem is not Melissa, nor the bed, nor the elderly woman, but a power that has failed to meet expectations for 65 years.
Key Questions About Díaz-Canel’s Leadership and Public Reactions
What was Díaz-Canel's response to the elderly woman's request for a bed?
Díaz-Canel responded to the elderly woman with visible annoyance, saying, "I don't have one to give you either," when she complained about losing her bed after Hurricane Melissa.
How did social media react to Díaz-Canel's behavior?
Social media users widely criticized Díaz-Canel's behavior, perceiving it as a display of arrogance and lack of empathy. The phrase "I don't have one either" has become a symbol of his exhausted leadership and cynical response to citizens' suffering.
What was the influencer's main criticism of Díaz-Canel?
The influencer criticized Díaz-Canel for his disrespectful interaction with an elderly woman, arguing that his conduct was unbecoming of a president and pointing out the broader issue of failed leadership in Cuba.