Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla has once again taken aim at the United States on social media, this time over the detention of a five-year-old migrant boy by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"There is no justification for detaining a child, instilling fear, threatening them, and attempting to forcibly separate them from their parents," Rodríguez wrote on his X account. He accused Washington of acting with "total impunity" and using human rights issues as a "deceptive pretext" to criticize other countries.
The post, which featured an image of the young boy wearing a blue cap and carrying a school backpack while being escorted by federal agents, sparked a wave of reactions. While some accounts aligned with the Cuban government supported the minister's stance and framed it as a condemnation of the U.S. "blockade" and policies, the majority of comments were openly critical. Many questioned the moral authority of the Cuban government to discuss children's rights.
"Coming from you, it sounds like political opportunism," one user retorted. Others pointed to Cuban children who have been separated from their parents due to forced migration, those with relatives imprisoned for political reasons, or those growing up amidst severe shortages of food and medicine.
Public Reaction and Criticism
"There are no excuses for having Cuban children without freedom or a future," wrote one user, while others recalled cases such as Lisandra Góngora, the detentions of teenagers following protests on the island, or historical tragedies omitted by the minister.
The tone of the responses was harsh, filled with indignation and memory. For many Cubans both on and off the island, Rodríguez's tweet was not seen as a genuine defense of children's rights but rather as an attempt to politically capitalize on a painful story happening outside of Cuba, while ignoring similar or worse violations within the country.
Facebook Reactions Intensify
On Facebook, the criticism was even more intense. While some defended the denunciation against the United States, using terms like "imperialism" and "fascism," the majority reflected the criticism back to the minister.
Several users reproached him for discussing human rights while Cuban children face hunger, endure sleepless nights due to blackouts, or grow ill amid a health crisis. Others recalled practices like forced labor in the fields, early withdrawal of milk supplies, police repression against minors, and the existence of imprisoned parents far from their children. Many highlighted internal deportations within the island, from Havana to the eastern provinces, the lack of free elections, and the contradiction of denouncing external abuses without acknowledging domestic ones.
The Case of Liam Conejo Ramos
The case that Rodríguez referenced involves Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old boy detained this week by ICE agents while returning from preschool to his home in a Minneapolis suburb.
The child was taken along with his father to a family detention center in Texas, over 2,000 kilometers from their home, according to a CNN report.
According to their attorney, the family had entered the U.S. legally to apply for asylum and was complying with the process requirements; however, U.S. authorities consider the father an undocumented immigrant and defended their actions.
While the U.S. government insists it acted lawfully, local organizations, school authorities, and witnesses question the manner of the detention and its emotional impact on the child.
Amidst the international debate, the image of Liam, with his rabbit hat and Spiderman backpack, became caught between opposing political narratives, serving as a reminder that beyond flags and slogans, childhoods are marked by decisions they neither understand nor choose.
Exploring the Implications of Migrant Child Detainment
What was Bruno Rodríguez's criticism of the U.S. regarding migrant children?
Bruno Rodríguez criticized the U.S. for detaining a young migrant child, accusing them of instilling fear and attempting to separate the child from their parents by force.
Why did Rodríguez's comments receive backlash online?
Rodríguez's comments were viewed as hypocritical, given Cuba's own track record with human rights and children's issues, leading many to see his remarks as politically opportunistic rather than sincere.
What was the public's reaction on social media platforms?
Reactions were overwhelmingly critical, highlighting Cuba's domestic issues and questioning the Cuban government's moral authority to speak on children's rights.