This past Friday evening, Cuba's Permanent Mission to the United Nations hosted a lavish diplomatic reception, featuring cocktails and a banquet, even as millions on the island endure widespread blackouts, hospitals without power, and entire neighborhoods shrouded in darkness. Outside, Martí Noticias captured footage of attendees arriving, including foreign officials and allies of the Havana regime, all while Cuba's energy crisis deepens.
According to Cuban journalist Mario J. Pentón, the event saw limited attendance from diplomats. A Haitian representative relished the mojitos but sidestepped questions about Cuba's political prisoners. Meanwhile, some guests, including Ralph Gonsalves, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, were seen leaving the event unsteadily.
Inside the gathering were Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, the Foreign Minister, and Deputy Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, while back in Cuba, hospitals remained powerless, families faced entire days without electricity, and the elderly went to bed hungry. The stark contrast between New York's opulence and the island's energy crisis highlights the ruling elite's resource squandering.
The diplomatic mission attempted to block Martí Noticias from covering the event, calling the New York police. However, officers upheld press freedom, allowing the banquet to be documented, Pentón emphasized.
Recently, the Cuban government grandly inaugurated the latest edition of the Varadero Gourmet International Festival at the Plaza América Convention Center, held from September 11 to 13 in Matanzas, Cuba's prime resort.
In July, images of the gourmet service during the National Assembly of People's Power sessions at Havana's Convention Palace sparked online controversy, showcasing the elegant menus enjoyed by deputies amidst the nation's food scarcity.
On February 26, as over 50% of Cuba was plunged into darkness, a select group of millionaires and communist elite members hosted a banquet at the National Capitol in Havana. Dubbed the "Intermediate Night" of the Habano Festival, organizers described it as an evening for a "select few."
Amid one of Cuba's most severe energy and food crises in recent years, such events expose the privileged bubble of the Cuban elite. The discrepancy between official "resistance" rhetoric and overt extravagance becomes increasingly untenable for a population burdened by hardship, where many wake up with nothing to eat and go to bed with empty stomachs.
Key Questions About Cuba's Current Crisis
What was the purpose of the diplomatic reception in New York?
The reception aimed to host foreign dignitaries and allies of the Cuban regime, showcasing opulence despite the island's ongoing crises.
How did the Cuban government attempt to control media coverage?
The Cuban mission tried to block Martí Noticias from covering the event by calling the New York police, but officers upheld the press's right to document the occasion.
What is the current state of Cuba's energy and food crisis?
Cuba is experiencing severe energy shortages, leading to widespread blackouts, and a food crisis, with many citizens facing dire scarcity and hunger.