Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, the national coordinator for the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and one of Cuba's so-called "Five Heroes," recently attempted to poke fun at the new Tesla on Facebook. However, his post ended up making him the target of widespread ridicule.
The situation unfolded due to a meme circulating online, which featured the newly unveiled Tesla Roadster Cyberfie, an electric sports car by Elon Musk. This vehicle can fly short distances and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 0.81 seconds. The meme depicted the car with the caption "FAILED CAPITALISM" above it, and below, a dilapidated industrial building labeled "SUCCESSFUL SOCIALISM." The irony was clear to most, but apparently not to Hernández.
On his profile "Gerardo de Los Cinco," Hernández tried to debunk the meme with two points: the dilapidated building was in a capitalist country, and the Tesla included parts made in China. "This meme, shared by some subservient lackeys, is laughable. First, the image below is from a capitalist country. Also, how many Communist China-made components does this show car have? Pathetic!" he wrote.
Social media users quickly responded with biting remarks. Many pointed out that the photo of ruins could easily be Havana. "Did they take a picture of Havana for that meme?" one user asked. Another added, "Walk through Havana, and you'll see scenes like the ones below; you can't hide reality with words." A third bluntly stated, "The real meme here is you."
Hernández's mention of Chinese components was swiftly turned against him. "How many Cuban components does that car have? How many Cuban parts look like the second image?" asked one user. Another sarcastically noted, "Simple, if it were made in Cuba, it would still be on the drawing board due to power outages." A third voice chimed in, "You have neither a car nor the means to put on a show."
While Hernández's argument about Chinese components has some technical basis—industry reports from 2026 indicate that three of Tesla's five external battery cell suppliers are Chinese companies (CATL, BYD, and Sunwoda), along with Japan's Panasonic and South Korea's LG Energy Solution—social media users pointed out a glaring truth: Cuba does not manufacture cars or have a tech industry and suffers from frequent blackouts with deficits exceeding 2,400 megawatts during the worst times of 2026. "The image below matches the 'reinvolution's' achievements. Add people cooking with wood in the 21st century," another commenter remarked.
The urban decay highlighted in the meme as "successful socialism" is an all-too-real reflection of Cuba's housing crisis. Alarming statistics show that Havana alone experiences around 1,000 building collapses annually, according to government data cited by the press. Previous figures indicated that 185,348 structures were in poor condition in the capital, while the national housing deficit exceeded 900,000 homes as of March 2026, according to Human Rights Watch.
"Take a stroll through Havana or any Cuban municipality, and the destruction is worse than that image," stated a user. Another was more direct: "And what's the difference between that image and today's Cuba? Honestly, I see no difference."
Hernández's posts have backfired before. In September, he celebrated the CDR's anniversary in Matanzas while the province was without power. In May, a meme he shared against independent media sparked a wave of criticism about the island's real crisis. This pattern has become so regular that netizens now expect it.
Meanwhile, the Tesla Roadster Cyberfie was unveiled on Thursday, October 15, at SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas. The car will be available in three versions—Performance, Thrust, and Rocket. The first two can be reserved with deposits of $50,000 and $250,000, respectively, while the third is by invitation only.
Production is slated for 2028, although Tesla has not yet announced final sale prices. Musk described the vehicle as a machine that "takes the fun meter to eleven out of ten." In Cuba, the irony meter hit a new high this Friday, albeit in a direction opposite to what Hernández intended.
Understanding the Social Media Backlash Against Gerardo Hernández
Why did Gerardo Hernández's post about Tesla backfire?
Hernández's attempt to criticize the Tesla meme was met with ridicule because users pointed out the irony and inaccuracies in his comments. The meme's critique of socialism resonated with many who see the real-life parallels in Cuba's infrastructure issues.
What was the content of the meme that sparked the controversy?
The meme featured the new Tesla Roadster Cyberfie with the caption "FAILED CAPITALISM" and a photo of a crumbling building labeled "SUCCESSFUL SOCIALISM," highlighting the irony between technological innovation and urban decay.
How did social media users react to Hernández's comments?
Users mocked Hernández by pointing out the irony in his statements and drew comparisons between the meme's imagery and the real-life situation in Havana, where urban decay is prevalent.
What are the technical details of the Tesla Roadster Cyberfie?
The Tesla Roadster Cyberfie is an electric sports car capable of short-distance flight and rapid acceleration. It will be available in three versions, with production beginning in 2028, although prices have yet to be announced.