Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, the national coordinator for the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and a member of the Political Bureau of the Cuban Communist Party, recently stirred controversy with a Facebook post. On Monday, he shared a meme questioning what CiberCuba writers would do for a living if they managed to "topple the regime," a query that quickly backfired as users turned the question against him.
Using his account "Gerardo de Los Cinco," Hernández posted the text, "A question for the Cybermercenaries of Miami's Hate Industry: If you manage to overthrow 'the regime,' what will you live on?" The meme, featuring an image of Donald Trump and a red map of Cuba, was captioned with "You'd have to start working!" and accompanied by hashtags like #CDRCuba, #CubaNoSeRinde, and #LaPatriaSeDefiende.
This post came amid reports of potential military actions against Cuba by Trump, as revealed by Politico on the same day. Many users perceived Hernández's question as particularly inappropriate in this context.
Backlash from Social Media Users
The response in the comments was overwhelmingly sarcastic and critical of the regime official. Numerous users directly returned the question: "Worry about how you're going to live," one user wrote. "That's what you'll have to do: work, because you live off the government," added another.
Some commenters pointed to Hernández's personal history, reminding readers of his two life sentences in the United States for conspiracy to commit espionage before his release in 2014 as part of a diplomatic agreement between Barack Obama and Raúl Castro.
"You don't have to worry about that because you would've had your breakfast, lunch, and dinner secured. And lodging. You already have experience," a Cuban remarked, alluding to Hernández's prison years in the U.S.
Users Highlight Irony in Hernández's Language
A second wave of mockery emerged as users noticed Hernández's use of the term "regime" in his meme. "I like this because in your phrase you admit this is a regime," one user observed. "He acknowledged it's a regime," another pointed out.
One commenter was more blunt: "Says the guy who spent his whole life informing and now controls a mass organization that watches over people in their homes."
Reflecting the sentiment of many, a Cuban woman summarized: "You're scared because you're the one living well without working while the people bust themselves working for a miserable salary."
Recurrent Rejection of Hernández's Social Media Posts
This isn't the first time Hernández's social media activity has sparked widespread backlash. Recently, he mocked "volunteer informants" tracking U.S. military flights, shared videos of Cubans dancing at political events, and suggested Washington send a fuel ship instead of the $100 million in humanitarian aid announced by Marco Rubio.
Each of these posts was met with similar derision from users contrasting the official narrative with the everyday reality of power outages, food shortages, and repression faced by the Cuban people.
Understanding the Cuban Social Media Backlash
Why did Gerardo Hernández's Facebook post cause such a strong reaction?
His post was perceived as inappropriate and ironic, especially given recent reports of potential military actions against Cuba and his own history of benefiting from the Cuban government.
How did users react to Hernández's use of the term "regime"?
Users highlighted the irony of Hernández using the term "regime," interpreting it as an inadvertent acknowledgment of the oppressive nature of the Cuban government.
What past incidents have fueled rejection of Hernández's social media posts?
Previous posts mocking U.S. military informants, sharing political event videos, and sarcastically addressing U.S. humanitarian aid have all been criticized against the backdrop of Cuba's ongoing crises.