Che Guevara Statue in Granma Sparks Laughter Across Social Media

A statue of Ernesto Che Guevara in Granma province has set social media ablaze, not due to admiration, but rather because of a flood of ridicule. The sculpture, placed at the polyclinic named after the guerrilla fighter in the community of Vado del Yeso, Río Cauto municipality, quickly earned the nickname "Neanderthal Che" due to its crude and misshapen appearance, which is more of a caricature than an epic tribute.

Although the statue has reportedly been in place for several years, it recently resurfaced online with new photos following a visit by parliamentary deputies, bringing with it the inevitable mockery. The Cuban regime's persistent efforts to fill every corner of the island with statues, busts, and murals of their heroes and martyrs is part of a patriotic propaganda campaign that has lasted over six decades. However, the outcome can often be grotesque: sculptures resembling characters from a 90s video game or a school art project.

José Raúl Gallego, an independent journalist, sarcastically noted, "The sculpture situation in Granma is serious. The Neanderthal Che is a trick." He later compared the piece to Silvestre Cañizo, a hunchbacked and deformed character from the memorable telenovela "Tierra Brava," adding with irony, "I knew I had seen it before..." Other journalists joined in the wave of criticism.

Ernesto Morales pointed out that the sculpture is not new, having been at the polyclinic for "almost 15 years," although some users claim it was installed about four years ago. Meanwhile, Mario J. Pentón was more scathing: "The Neanderthal Che looks like it's straight out of a caveman version of the Jetsons. And that shotgun... it looks like it's from PlayStation 1! Who was the artist, a Minecraft apprentice?"

Citizens also chimed in with their thoughts. A Havana resident wrote, "Che sculpture inaugurated in Granma. They call it Neanderthal Che. Oh, and something about the shotgun." An official journalist known as Liberato Cimarrón later clarified that the figure was created by a patient who was an amateur sculptor and donated it to the polyclinic. According to him, the original intention was to depict a generic guerrilla, though the uniform and stance revealed it was meant to be Che.

Due to the uproar it caused, the piece has reportedly been removed and possibly destroyed. "I think it's right that they removed it, but not that they destroyed it. (...) It did not meet the requirements to be in a formal public space, but at the very least, respect should be shown to the person who made it with good intentions," one person commented.

Ultimately, the sculpture became a source of laughter and memes, another symbol of the weariness with a regime that has turned Guevara's image into a mandatory icon, repeated ad nauseam in schools, hospitals, squares, and offices. In its obsession to keep the legend of the "hero" alive, the Castro regime ends up presenting statues that resemble parodies, reflecting a system trapped in its own failed propaganda.

In the end, the "Neanderthal Che" statue only confirmed what many Cubans feel: the official propaganda no longer inspires respect but rather laughter. In its pursuit to erect altars to the myth-turned-guerrilla, the government ends up offering pieces that look like they belong in a school fair or a budget video game. The irony of history: Che, who once instilled fear and violence, is now reduced to a stone caricature that elicits chuckles online.